IPL 2026, LSG vs DC Playing 11 Today Match: Delhi Capitals won the toss and elected to bowl against Lucknow Super Giants in Match 5 of the Indian Premier League at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. DC captain Axar Patel said the decision was influenced by the fresh pitch conditions and early assistance expected for bowlers. He added that chasing could be advantageous at the venue.
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant said the team was not overly concerned about batting first, noting the surface looked good and the squad was entering the season with renewed energy after addressing shortcomings from the previous campaign.
The pitch, a red-soil surface, is expected to offer good bounce and carry, with recent matches at the venue favoring teams batting second.
Playing XIs:
Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Prince Yadav
Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar
Impact substitutes:
Lucknow Super Giants: Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akshat Raghuvanshi
Delhi Capitals: Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, Sameer Rizvi, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair
Both teams will look to start their IPL 2026 campaign on a positive note in what promises to be a competitive contest.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Ekana Cricket Stadium is expected to assist batters with good bounce and carry on a red-soil surface. The square boundaries measure 56m and 64m, with the straight boundary at 77m. Former England batter Kevin Pietersen said the surface looks firm and suitable for stroke play, unlike some other venues with more grass cover. The pitch was relaid ahead of the 2023 World Cup and has since seen an increase in scoring rates from around seven runs per over to nearly nine. Teams chasing have had better results at the venue, winning six of eight matches last season.