Delhi Capitals will contest Lucknow Super Giants in the 40th match of IPL 2025 on Tuesday, April 22, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Match Preview:
When KL Rahul was leading Lucknow Siper Giants, his fall from grace was broadcast to the whole world in an ugly show in Hyderabad. Now at Delhi Capitals, Rahul comes back to Lucknow in his first appearance since that unraveling. He was not a part of the reverse fixture earlier due to personal reasons, but this game promises the emotional drama that has fuelled IPL this year.
Interestingly, both sides come to this match with a surging momentum. DC, despite sitting at the top, have shown some inconsistency and will be looking to get a buffer at the top spot. Lucknow, after an unsteady beginning, have steadily done amendments to their strategy for better. They have five wins in eight games, and they will eye to cement their position.
Faf du Plessis has began his training in rehab but remains a doubtful starter for this match. In his stead, DC have tried to work many options but none of them have quite worked for them.
LSG, on the other hand, have regularly dipped their feet into chaos only to be saved by someone at the end. Rishabh Pant, who still seems to be adapting to his new team, has shown signs of struggles, but it’s been Abdul Samad, Nicholas Pooran, and Mitchell Marsh who have been their biggest reliefs.
Mitchell Starc is DC’s wildcard. He has leaked needless runs but is filled with enough menace to be a threat for the opposition. During their game against RR, it was Starc who rejuvenated DC back into the match.
Probable Playing XIs:
Lucknow Super Giants (probable):
1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Ayush Badoni, 5 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Mayank Yadav/Prince Yadav, 11 Digvesh Rathi, 12 Avesh Khan
Delhi Capitals (probable):
1 Abishek Porel, 2 Faf du Plessis/Donovan Ferreira/Sameer Rizvi, 3 Karun Nair, 4 KL Rahul (wk), 5 Axar Patel (capt), 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Vipraj Nigam, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohit Sharma, 12 Mukesh Kumar
Head-to-head Record:
DC and LSG have battled each other six times in the IPL. Both sides have won three matches each.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Ekana has a slow surface that gives bowlers a lot of assistance, especially the ones who bowl slow. Batters will have to earn their runs, and toss winning captains will look to bat second to get the dew to work in their favour.
Prediction:
Lucknow have been quietly building up their momentum. Add to that home advantage and a somewhat stable lineup, they may just chip away with this one. However, if Rahul gets going, emotions may carry DC home against all the odds.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
Pakistan: Tapmad, Tamasha
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
