Delhi Capital vs Lucknow Super Giants
ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam at 7.30 pm
What to expect
Another run-fest as KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant take on their old franchises? Last time an IPL game took place in Visakhapatnam, Kolkata Knight Riders scored a mammoth 272 runs. Additionally, across T20s played at this venue, the average run rate is more than 9, the third highest among all Indian venues.
In the two IPL games played here, the team batting first has always come out victorious. And with LSG’s pace attack impacted by injuries, DC’s batters might just fancy a big score.
Key battle
LSG are likely to field three to four left-handers in their middle-order, which could limit Axar Patel’s effectiveness during the middle overs. However, DC have the option of left-arm wrist-spinner, Kuldeep Yadav and part-time off-spinner, Tristan Stubbs, both of whom could play a key role in countering LSG’s batting lineup.
DC Likely XI
KL Rahul’s availability remains uncertain, which could see Karun Nair—coming off a stellar 2024 domestic season—earning a spot in DC’s playing XI.
Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul*, Axar Patel © , Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan
Impact sub: Mohit Sharma, Sameer Rizvi
LSG Likely XI
Rishabh Pant’s batting position will likely shape LSG’s batting order, while Shardul Thakur, an injury replacement, is expected to start given LSG’s thin pace-bowling resources.
Arshin Kulkarni/Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph
Impact sub: Shahbaz Ahmed, Prince Yadav
Pitch and weather
A pitch tailor-made for high-scoring encounters; conditions are expected to favour batters. The surface should offer good bounce and pace, allowing the ball to come onto the bat nicely. However, as the match progresses, the pitch is likely to slow down, bringing spinners into play.
The weather forecast suggests brief daytime showers, but they are unlikely to disrupt play. Cloudy skies and high humidity could, however, influence conditions during the game.