IPL 2024, Match 26: Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals Match Preview

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Delhi Capitals (DC) cross swords in match 26 of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024 on Friday, April 12 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The Super Giants are riding high on confidence after winning their last three games with relative ease. Interestingly, in a league where teams are more inclined to chase, Lucknow have batted first and defended totals convincingly.

They began with a 20-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur before beating Punjab Kings by 21 runs in their first home game of the season. KL Rahul and Co. followed it up with a 28-run win against arch-rivals Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In their last game, Lucknow posted 163/5 at the Ekana before dismissing Gujarat Titans for 130. The Super Giants are currently placed at No. 3 on the points table and if they can win by a decent margin against the Capitals, they could jump to the top.

Nicholas Pooran is the leading run-getter for Lucknow as the stylish cricketer has scored 178 runs from four innings and has been dismissed only once. The southpaw has a phenomenal strike rate of 169.52. Marcus Stoinis returned to form in the last game as he scored a magnificent 58 off 43 balls on a tricky surface. Quinton de Kock has also scored a couple of fifties so far in the campaign. Rahul hasn't hit his straps yet but a player of his calibre could explode at any moment.

Yash Thakur bagged a five-for in the last game, while Krunal Pandya finished with mind-boggling figures of 3/11 in his four overs. Mayank Yadav has been the standout pacer for the Super Giants but there he suffered an injury in the last game and his participation in the game against the Capitals is in doubt.

Also Check: Most Wickets in IPL 2024

Delhi Capitals finished ninth last season and in IPL 2024, they are languishing at the bottom. Rishabh Pant-led Capitals have only one win from five matches and would be desperately looking to get back to winning ways as their hopes of making the playoffs are gradually diminishing.

Delhi began the season with a four-wicket loss against the Punjab Kings in Chandigarh. In their second game, Pant and Co. suffered a 12-run loss against Rajasthan Royals. They played their first home game of the season against Chennai Super Kings in Visakhapatnam and emerged victorious by a 20-run margin. However, they couldn't build on the win as they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by a shambolic 106 runs. In their last game, Delhi conceded 234/5 before being restricted to 205/8 by Mumbai Indians.

Also Check: Most Runs in IPL 2024

Rishabh Pant has scored a couple of fifties so far in IPL 2024 but Delhi's best batter so far in the season has undoubtedly been Tristan Stubbs. He scored a terrific 71 not out off 25 balls in the last game to give a glimpse of his surreal talent. In five games, he has scored 174 runs at a strike rate of 193.33. Prithvi Shaw scored a solid half-century in the last game before being castled by an almost unplayable Jasprit Bumrah yorker. The flamboyant batter will hope to give the Capitals a flying start inside the powerplay. His fellow opening partner, David Warner, has blown hot and cold. If he can bat long, the big-hitting middle-order batters would be able to express themselves around him.

The bowling department for Delhi has been a huge worry. Khaleel has been one of the rare bright spots as he has bagged seven wickets in five matches at 24.29. Injuries to Mukesh Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav have dented Delhi's progress. Anrich Nortje's form has also been disastrous as he has conceded runs at 13.43. In their last two games, the Capitals have conceded totals of 272/7 and 234/5. The bowlers will love the fact that they would be bowling at a ground which is more friendly to the bowlers. However, the pitch won't do everything for them and they will have to execute their plans in a much better way than they have so far in the tournament.

Ekana Cricket Stadium Pitch Report and Conditions

Surfaces at the Ekana Cricket Stadium are not ideal for batters. They need to spend time in the middle before accelerating. The margin for error is much higher for bowlers at this venue. Last year in the IPL, this ground saw some very low scores being defended. Run-scoring gets difficult as the game progresses and keeping this in mind, the captain who wins the toss would like to bat first. The average first-innings score after the first two games this season has been 181 and both of them have been won batting first.

Click Here: LSG vs DC Live Score, Match 26

Probable Playing XI

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG):

Lucknow will be concerned about the fitness of their pace sensation Mayank Yadav, who bowled just one over in the last game and left the field. Later, it was revealed by the CEO of LSG, Vinod Bisht, that the 21-year-old had an ache in the lower abdominal area and that his condition will be monitored in the coming days. LSG fans will hope that the youngster will be fully fit to play against the Capitals. Devdutt Padikkal has been in woeful form as he has scored just 22 runs from four matches. The southpaw could lose his place in the side to Deepak Hooda.

Predicted XI: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (C & WK), Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mayank Yadav

Impact Player: Manimaran Siddharth

Also Check: LSG vs DC Match Prediction - Who will win?

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Delhi's campaign has been hampered by the injuries to Kuldeep and Mukesh. The latter is expected to return to the side against Lucknow but Kuldeep is yet to regain full fitness. Anrich Nortje's poor form will be a major concern.

Predicted XI: David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant (C & WK), Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Jhye Richardson, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar

Impact Player: Ishant Sharma

LSG vs DC Head-to-Head Record