Match 40 of IPL 2025 will see Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) face off against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, April 22.
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Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Preview
Last season, KL Rahul was in his third year with Lucknow Super Giants. Things were relatively stable—until they ran into Sunrisers Hyderabad. In just 9.4 overs, everything unraveled. The moment that defined it all was broadcast across the globe: visuals of LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka publicly reprimanding his captain. It was a turning point from which there was no recovery.
Now, Rahul is with a new franchise. His reunion with Goenka was delayed, as he missed LSG’s first clash against Delhi Capitals due to the birth of his child. IPL 2025 has seen a trend of former players haunting their previous teams, and Rahul has already joined that list with a match-winning 93 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Will he find similar fire on Tuesday night?
In Rahul’s absence, LSG turned to Rishabh Pant as captain. He’s still settling in, managing only 106 runs from seven innings. Yet, despite his modest form, injuries to key bowlers, and a season-opening defeat to Delhi, LSG have punched above their weight. They’ve claimed five wins in their last seven games—four of them close finishes. A win at home could see them leapfrog DC into second place on the table—or even take the top spot if Gujarat Titans lose to Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.
It’s been nearly a month since Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals last clashed in Vizag, where DC edged past LSG in a nail-biter, winning with just a wicket in hand and three balls to spare—thanks to Ashutosh Sharma’s late-game heroics.
LSG have had their share of ups and downs too, but a higher win tally keeps them comfortably in the top five. They’re coming off a tight two-run win over the Royals, made possible by a late bowling surge from Avesh Khan. The batting, however, has lacked spark in recent games. Inconsistent returns from Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, combined with Rishabh Pant’s patchy form—aside from his 49-ball 63 against Chennai Super Kings—have made fast starts hard to come by. With five wins from eight matches, LSG will be looking for a more cohesive batting effort going forward.
LSG’s Digvesh Rathi and DC’s Vipraj Nigam have emerged as standout Indian talents in this year’s IPL. Statistically, they’re neck and neck—Rathi has picked up nine wickets at an average of 26.44, while Nigam has claimed seven at 27. If the Lucknow surface offers assistance to the spinners, expect one—or both—to play a crucial role in the outcome.
Among the forty batters who’ve faced at least 100 balls this season, LSG captain Rishabh Pant has the lowest strike rate at 98.14. On the flip side, his teammate Nicholas Pooran tops the charts with a staggering 205.58. Pooran kicked off his IPL 2025 campaign in explosive fashion, smashing 75 off just 30 balls against Delhi Capitals. However, he’s had his struggles against Kuldeep Yadav—managing only 10 runs off six deliveries in that match. The wristspinner clearly has Pooran’s number, having dismissed him five times in T20s, with Pooran scoring just 74 runs from 70 balls in their head-to-head.
Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, boast a power-packed top seven. In their match against Gujarat Titans, every batter from Abishek Porel to Vipraj Nigam had a strike rate of at least 147 this season—a testament to their aggressive approach.
That victory over LSG in Vizag sparked a four-match winning streak for Delhi, but they’ve been inconsistent since, suffering defeats to Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans while narrowly escaping with a Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals.
Delhi, too, are looking for their top-order batters to step up. They haven’t had a single fifty-plus score in their last two games, which has hurt their ability to build dominant totals. While their bowlers, led by Mitchell Starc, delivered under pressure with a solid final over and a composed Super Over against Rajasthan, a stronger showing from GT’s batters meant DC’s 203 wasn’t enough. Like LSG, they’ll be hoping their top three can lay down a stronger platform this time around.
Delhi Capitals have experimented with four different opening combinations this season but are yet to solve their top-order woes. Their average opening stand of 21.28 remains the lowest among all 10 teams, highlighting a persistent vulnerability at the top.
Rishabh Pant’s struggles against spin have also continued. Since 2024, he has been dismissed by spinners eight times in the IPL. This season alone, he has managed just 32 runs off 45 deliveries against spin, with a strike rate of 71.11 and a dot ball percentage of 50—a worrying trend for LSG’s new skipper.
Meanwhile, Mohit Sharma, who had been a key figure in Delhi’s death-over bowling across the last two seasons with 22 wickets in the 16-20 over phase, has been surprisingly ineffective this year. He is yet to claim a single wicket during the death overs in the current campaign.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Recent Form
Lucknow Super Giants: WLWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Delhi Capitals: LWLWW
Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Head-to-Head
The head-to-head stands evenly poised at 3-3 between LSG and DC, with each side having secured one victory at the Ekana Stadium.
- Matches Played: 06
- Won by Lucknow Super Giants: 03
- Won by Delhi Capitals: 03
- Tied: 00
- No Result: 00
- First-ever Fixture: April 07, 2022
- Most-recent Fixture: March 24, 2025
Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
Ekana Stadium will feature a red-soil pitch on Tuesday. Earlier this season, LSG played Punjab Kings (PBKS) on a similar surface and lost by eight wickets. Following that match, LSG’s mentor Zaheer Khan expressed his frustration, remarking that “it looked like, you know, it was Punjab’s curator out here.”
This season, only one team has posted a total over 200 in Lucknow, and LSG successfully defended that score. However, in the other three games, the chasing teams emerged victorious, with the highest successful chase being 181. Teams batting first will aim for a total above 190, while chasing is expected to be the preferred strategy.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Team News and Predicted XI
Lucknow Super Giants – Team News
Mayank Yadav was among LSG’s substitutes in the previous match, possibly signaling that he’s close to full fitness. If he’s available for the game against DC, Prince Yadav might make way for him. Mayank was fit for LSG’s last match against RR and started as an Impact Sub. However, with three early wickets while batting first, LSG opted for Ayush Badoni instead. It’s likely he’ll be back in action tomorrow.
Shardul Thakur could be key against Axar Patel, having dismissed him twice in six innings. KL Rahul and Abishek Porel have both fallen to legspinners twice this season, which could bring Digvesh Singh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi into the picture.
Lucknow Super Giants – Predicted XI
- Aiden Markram
- Mitchell Marsh
- Nicholas Pooran
- Ayush Badoni
- Rishabh Pant (capt & wk)
- David Miller
- Abdul Samad
- Shardul Thakur
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Prince Yadav/Mayank Yadav
- Digvesh Rathi
- Avesh Khan
Delhi Capitals – Team News
Faf du Plessis is recovering well from his injury and had a batting session in the nets, but it’s still uncertain whether he will be included in the upcoming match. DC skipper Axar Patel suggested after the match against RR that Faf is likely to miss at least three more games, so he’s expected to be unavailable for this encounter. DC might consider bringing in Dushmantha Chameera, given his familiarity with the Lucknow pitch and his strong record against Pooran, having dismissed him three times in four innings.
Axar Patel has struggled with the ball this season, taking just one wicket and averaging an economy rate of 9.36. With Pooran and David Miller both having excellent strike rates of 350 and 150, respectively, against Axar, DC might look to use him early in the innings, especially against Aiden Markram, who has been dismissed twice in five innings by the left-arm spinner. Kuldeep Yadav, meanwhile, has favorable match-ups against Pooran, Pant, and Marsh, and DC will be relying on him to make a significant impact.
Delhi Capitals – Predicted XI
- Abishek Porel
- Faf du Plessis/Donovan Ferreira/Sameer Rizvi
- Karun Nair
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Axar Patel (capt)
- Tristan Stubbs
- Ashutosh Sharma
- Vipraj Nigam
- Mitchell Starc
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohit Sharma
- Mukesh Kumar
Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Players To Watch Out For
Abdul Samad (Lucknow Super Giants)
Abdul Samad has been a key finisher for LSG, amassing 111 runs at an impressive strike rate of 222. In their most recent match, he took charge in the final over, blasting Sandeep Sharma for four sixes to finish with 30 runs off just 10 balls.
Earlier in the season, Samad also impressed with his aggressive play against Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, and Adam Zampa. While much of the focus has been on LSG’s top three and Rishabh Pant, it is Samad who has consistently provided crucial late-order acceleration for his team.
Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals)
Mitchell Starc has an economy rate of 10.68, making him the second-most expensive bowler among those who have bowled at least 25 overs this season. He began the campaign strongly, taking eight wickets in his first two games, but has only claimed two wickets in his last five matches.
However, it was Starc’s reverse-swinging yorkers that played a pivotal role in DC’s victory over Rajasthan Royals last week, first forcing a tie and then securing the win in the Super Over.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals: Prediction
Scenario 1
- Toss: Lucknow Super Giants win the toss and bowl
- Powerplay Score: 65-75
- Delhi Capitals Total: 160-180
- Match Result: Lucknow Super Giants win the match
Scenario 2
- Toss: Delhi Capitals win the toss and bowl
- Powerplay Score: 55-65
- Lucknow Super Giants Total: 180-200
- Match Result: Delhi Capitals win the match
When and Where To Watch Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals LIVE? Broadcast and Streaming Details
The Indian Premier League 2025 clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals is set to begin at 7:30 PM IST on Tuesday, April 22, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network and will also be available for live streaming on JioHotstar for FREE.
FAQs
What is the head-to-head record between LSG and DC in the IPL?
Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals have faced each other 6 times, with both teams winning 3 matches each.
Why did KL Rahul miss the first match against DC in IPL 2025?
KL Rahul missed LSG’s opening match against DC due to the birth of his child.
Who are the standout Indian bowlers for LSG and DC this season?
Digvesh Rathi (LSG) and Vipraj Nigam (DC) have emerged as key Indian performers, with 9 and 7 wickets respectively.
What pitch conditions are expected at Ekana Stadium for LSG vs DC?
The match will be played on a red-soil pitch at Ekana, which has seen one 200+ total and three successful chases this season.
Who are the key match-ups to watch in LSG vs DC?
Key battles include Nicholas Pooran vs Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel vs Aiden Markram, and potential impact from Abdul Samad in the death overs.