The Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow was the scene of a night to forget for the Lucknow Super Giants, as they slumped to a six-wicket loss against the Delhi Capitals in their LSG vs DC IPL 2026 season opener on 1 April. LSG were bundled out for 141, failing to even bat through their 20 overs.
The blame lies with a batting lineup that came into the season with huge expectations but simply didn’t deliver. Quicks Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan tore through the order with three wickets each, while Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with two, taking apart a top four that featured three international stars. Here is how every LSG batter performed, ranked from best to worst.
Ranked: All LSG Batters From Best To Worst in LSG vs DC IPL 2026
1. Abdul Samad — 36 off 25 balls
Samad was the only one who really stood up while the rest of the team fell apart. He showed some intent but eventually holed out trying to go big, which killed off any hope of a late flourish. Even so, he was the only one to put up a decent fight, and his 144+ strike rate showed he wasn’t afraid to take on the DC bowlers when things got tough.
2. Mitchell Marsh — 35 off 28 balls
Marsh offered the only other bit of real resistance in what was a pretty bleak innings. He looked solid for his 35 before Kuldeep Yadav got him, and he really tried to anchor the top order. The Aussie all-rounder showed plenty of grit, but like the others, he couldn’t stick around long enough to give LSG the platform they needed.
3. Mukul Choudhary — 14
Mukul Choudhary made 14 and was part of a 34-run stand with Abdul Samad. It was one of the few bright spots in the game, as it was the only meaningful partnership from the lower order. Once he was out, any chance of reaching a defendable total pretty much vanished.
4. Aiden Markram — 11 off 8 balls
Markram walked out at number three after Pant’s strange dismissal and looked like he might get going, but Axar Patel cut his stay short. He was sent back for 11 off 8 balls, leaving LSG struggling at 48/2. For a player with his class and experience, it felt like a massive letdown, especially since he usually plays left-arm spin quite well.
5. Nicholas Pooran — 8
Pooran is easily LSG’s biggest threat, but he lasted only a few balls. He was cleaned up by a smart slower ball from Lungi Ngidi that crashed into his stumps. For someone with his power, getting just 8 runs in such a big game is a huge blow and leaves people wondering where LSG’s middle-order muscle is going to come from.
6. Rishabh Pant — 7 off 9 balls
The captain’s exit really set a bad tone for the night. Pant was run out for 7 in the most unlucky way; a straight drive deflected off Mukesh Kumar’s hand onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end. It was a freak dismissal, but the decision to have him open the batting without much warning seemed to add a bit of unnecessary confusion to the start of the LSG vs DC IPL 2026 match.
7. Ayush Badoni — 0
Badoni’s stay was over before it really started. He went for a big shot off a standard-length ball but only managed to edge it to the keeper for a duck. His early exit triggered the collapse, and his ongoing struggles at number four are becoming a real headache for LSG’s stability in this LSG vs DC IPL 2026 fixture.
8. Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav — 1 or below
Mohammed Shami made just 1, while Mohsin Khan and Anrich Nortje both went for ducks. The tail didn’t wag at all, and the innings ended in a hurry. This total lack of support from the bottom half only made the top-order failure look worse, and you have to give credit to DC’s bowlers for sticking to their plans so well.
LSG vs DC IPL 2026: 6 Stats That Will Blow Your Mind
The LSG vs DC IPL 2026 match showed some serious cracks in Lucknow’s batting that the coaches need to fix fast. This LSG vs DC IPL 2026 encounter proved that big names don’t count for much if you can’t build partnerships when the heat is on.
