Delhi Capitals will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Axar Patel will lead DC as they aim to start the season with a win, while LSG will look to put up a strong performance on their home ground.
All eyes on Prithvi Shaw
Delhi Capitals had a mixed last season. They started strongly but faded in the second half. On paper, DC look quite balanced this year. KL Rahul brings experience at the top, and fans will be closely watching Prithvi Shaw, who has returned to the side. Abhishek Porel impressed last season with 301 runs at a strike rate of 146. Karun Nair, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel, and Nitish Rana make the middle order look solid, while the addition of David Miller adds more firepower.
DC may miss Mitchell Starc
Samir Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, and Vipraj Nigam can play the role of finishers. However, the absence of Mitchell Starc in the early matches could be felt. In his absence, the pace attack may be led by Lungi Ngidi or Dushmantha Chameera, with support from Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan. The spin department will be handled by Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.
Lucknow’s star overseas players
On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants have a strong top order with Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and Aiden Markram. The middle order will be led by captain Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Abdul Samad. Wanindu Hasaranga’s fitness is still in doubt as he has not received clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket. However, LSG’s bowling attack looks impressive. Mohammad Shami will lead the pace attack alongside Mayank Yadav or Anrich Nortje. Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav, and Arjun Tendulkar provide good options. Fans will also keep an eye on Mayank Yadav’s fitness.
Head-to-Head record
Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants have played 7 matches in the IPL so far. DC have won 4, while LSG have won 3.
Pitch and Weather update
The pitch at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow is usually slow and assists spinners. Big totals are rare here. The average first innings score at this venue is 151 runs, while the second innings average is 126. According to AccuWeather, there will be clouds in Lucknow on Wednesday, but the chance of rain is very low. The maximum temperature is expected to be 37°C and the minimum 22°C.
Lucknow Super Giants Predicted Playing XI
Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Anrich Nortje, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Digvesh Rathi
Impact Player: Shahbaz Ahmed
Delhi Capitals Predicted Playing XI
Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), David Miller, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Auqib Nabi, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi
Impact Player: T Natarajan
The post LSG vs DC IPL 2026 Match No. 5: Head-to-head, key players, pitch report, weather & predicted XIs appeared first on Cricket Country.
