Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giant will feature in the 4th game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday at Visakhapatnam
Match Preview:
This game is set to be a classic. Delhi did not retain their captain, Rishabh Pant, which allowed Lucknow to secure the wicketkeeper-batter for ₹27 crore—the highest-ever bid in IPL history.
A lot will be expected from the new captain, Pant, whose aggressive and attacking approach was the backbone of the Delhi Capitals.
Although LSG has a strong core of Indian bowlers, a major concern is that key pacers like Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, and Akash Deep are still recovering from injuries.
Much will depend on the batting unit, which, to be fair, has enough firepower to put up a great total. Lucknow secured David Miller and Mitchell Marsh while retaining Nicholas Pooran—three players with solid reputations in T20 cricket.
As for Delhi, all eyes will be on KL Rahul, who will be facing his former franchise—a team he led to back-to-back playoff appearances in recent seasons.
This match will also be a significant moment for Axar Patel, who will be captaining an IPL team full-time for the first time.
Both KL Rahul and Axar were instrumental in India’s Champions Trophy victory, and they will be eager to carry that momentum into the IPL.
Another player to watch is Jake Fraser-McGurk, whose explosive powerplay batting can put any team on the back foot. Since 2023, he has recorded the third-highest powerplay strike rate in T20 cricket at an impressive 168.04—trailing only Travis Head (184.8) and Abhishek Sharma (181.47).
Natarajan will play a pivotal role with the ball, given that he is one of the best death bowlers in the IPL.
Delhi has only reached the final once, in 2020, where they lost to the Mumbai Indians. With a new captain and a star-studded lineup, can Delhi finally dream of lifting the IPL trophy?
Pitch and weather report:
Visakhapatnam’s pitch has a reputation for being batting-friendly, with a high scoring rate of 9.2 runs per over in all T20 matches. This puts it among the top three run-scoring venues in India, behind Hyderabad (9.7) and Bengaluru (9.2).
While recent domestic matches in the Andhra Premier League saw modest scores, with only one team crossing 200 in 19 games, it’s essential to consider the caliber of players. The IPL, with its world-class talent, is likely to witness more aggressive batting and higher scores.
A case in point is Kolkata Knight Riders’ record-breaking 272 runs at this venue last year, which highlights the potential for big scores on this pitch.
Probable Playing XI:
Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Abishek Porel, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Axar Patel (capt), 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Sameer Rizvi/Mohit Sharma, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 T Natarajan, 12 Mukesh Kumar
Lucknow Super Giants (probable): 1 Yuvraj Chaudhary, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shahbaz Ahmed, 9 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Shamar Joseph, 12 Prince Yadav
Head-to-head record:
The head-to-head record between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants stands at 2-3, with Lucknow Super Giants holding a slight edge having won three out of the five matches played between the two teams.
Prediction:
Since LSG will be without their main pace trio, Delhi has more chances to seal the victory in the upcoming season.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Afghanistan: ATN
MENA: Cricbuzz
