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Delhi Capitals (DC) began their IPL 2026 journey steadily. A tight match unfolded under lights at Ekana Stadium, ending in a six-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). However, disaster struck early, with 26 runs lost and four wickets down before the fifth over.
The pitch in Lucknow felt sluggish earlier, slowing down every stroke LSG tried. A strange dismissal struck early, and Rishabh Pant was sent off in confusion, and momentum slipped away after that. Bowlers like Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan held their lines well, squeezing runs until the total sagged at 141. Yet what looked shaky changed entirely because of Sameer Rizvi, who carved through pressure with a calm 70 not out.
IPL 2026 Match 4: LSG vs DC Player Ratings
DC Player Ratings vs LSG
1. KL Rahul - 1/10
Falling first ball to Shami, Rahul watched his start crumble fast. His old team was smirking as the new innings stumbled before it began.
2. Sameer Rizvi - 9/10
He arrived and changed everything. With the scorecard reading 26 for four, calm took over where panic could have ruled. At just twenty-two, he carried himself like someone who’d been there before. Hitting fifty runs wasn’t enough; 70* off 47 balls (5 fours, 4 sixes) told a quieter story of control masked by fire. The innings didn’t creep home; it roared, capped when Samad's delivery vanished into the night sky.
3. Tristan Stubbs -8/10
Stubbs stood firm while others faltered - 39 runs from 32 balls, just what was needed. When wickets fell around him, he stayed put, calm under noise. His presence gave Sameer Rizvi room to move freely at the other end. Not flashy, yet every moment mattered.
4. Axar Patel - 6/10
Finding rhythm with the ball and leadership, yet stumbling when holding the bat. His figures of 1 for 17 across three overs helped stifle LSG’s flow, while a scoreless dismissal under pressure almost tipped the match away from DC in pursuit.
5. Nitish Rana - 4/10
A start like that was always going to be tough. After months away from game action, Nitish Rana looked out of rhythm. 15 runs came from 17 balls - 2 fours, one six - not quite enough. When KL Rahul walked back immediately, he held things together for a short while. Then Mohsin Khan found the edge. Wicket fell at 21 for 2. The situation worsened fast.
6. Pathum Nissanka - 2/10
A shaky start from the get-go, Pathum Nissaska never found rhythm at the crease. Off the 5th delivery he faced, an edge flew straight to Pant behind the stumps. That wicket came courtesy of Prince Yadav’s precise line. Falling for a mere run exposed cracks right when stability was needed most. The top order unravelled quickly after that loss in the opening phase.
7. David Miller - 6.5/10
Even without batting, David Miller sparkled under the lights. A soaring leap at the rope sealed Abdul Samad’s exit on 36. That grab crushed LSG’s push past 160. His presence tightened the screws late. Moments like that tilt games sideways.
8. Vipraj Nigam - 6/10.
Not asked to bowl much when the game settled into the middle phase. Only got through a single over, gave away 8 runs, and didn’t take a wicket.
9. Mukesh Kumar - 6.5/10
Off the mark with steady hands, Mukesh Kumar kept things tight when others couldn’t. His name stayed off the wicket column, yet the scoreboard felt his grip; just 17 runs flowed across three full overs. Quiet moments suited him best, working without noise or flash. Then came that sharp
instinct under pressure - a quick grab, a flicked throw, Pant out mid-stride.
10. Lungi Ngidi - 9/10
3/27, that’s what Ngidi ended up with, best among his lot. Just when Pooran started swinging big, out he went, caught right then. The ball did the trick just in time.
11. T Natarajan - 8.5/10
Bowling with sharp control when it mattered most, T Natarajan landed a mark of 8.5 out of 10. His accurate yorkers, along with clever changes in pace, brought him figures of 3/29. Because of his pressure-building deliveries, LSG failed to launch the strong ending they were hoping for.
12. Kuldeep Yadav - 7.5/10
A sharp spell from the left-arm wrist-spinner stopped LSG from building momentum during the middle phase. Right when Mitchell Marsh began settling into his stride, a clever delivery ended his stay. Later, even Mukul Choudhary, already comfortable at the crease, fell victim to subtle changes in pace and spin. Finishing with 2/31, his ability to extract uneven turn and lift troubled every batter facing him.
Also Read: Rishabh Pant unsure about opening role despite strong record: ‘It’s a 50-50 call’
LSG Players' Ratings vs DC:
1. Rishabh Pant - 3/10
A shaky start for the LSG captain. Just 7 runs on the board, yet already out of rhythm at the crease. A sharp throw from deep then found its mark, feet skimming the line, and the umpire raised a finger. That moment stalled any hope of building pace in their innings.
2. Mitchell Marsh - 7/10
At first, every other LSG player seemed tense, yet he moved smoothly at the crease. Three huge sixes came from his bat during a 35-run effort from just 28 balls. Then Kuldeep Yadav got him out; after that moment, everything fell apart.
3. Abdul Samad - 6.5/10
He stood almost alone when it mattered most. 36 runs came from his bat in 25 balls, giving LSG something to defend. Without that knock, the score would have sagged badly. Then, late in the game, he found himself on the wrong end of things. The last over of the chase zeroed in on him. Ball after ball came his way under full pressure.
4. Nicholas Pooran - 2/10
Falling short was the outcome when the finisher faced Ngidi's slower delivery, mistiming it badly after failing to pick the pace. A misjudged read sealed his exit at 8.
5. Ayush Badoni - 2/10
He went out early, dismissed in just 3 balls. His quick exit derailed the innings sharply when stability was needed most. Momentum slipped away fast after his fall, dragging the team deeper into trouble.
6. Aiden Markram - 4/10
Aiden Markram started slowly, scoring just 11 before losing his wicket. His only over cost 13 runs, a heavy toll under pressure.
7. Shahbaz Ahmed - 5/10
A shaky performance overall. Down the stretch of the LSG innings, he pushed through for 15 not out within 16 balls, nudging the score up to 141. Yet when bowling came around, control slipped early; one over cost him 16 runs, widening gaps instead of closing them.
8. Mukul Choudhary - 3/10
When the middle order cried for calm, he couldn’t keep things moving. Just fourteen came from eleven deliveries. Then a magical delivery from Kuldeep Yadav found its mark.
9. Mohammad Shami - 8.5/10
Bursting onto the scene right away, Mohammad Shami knocked over KL Rahul with his opening delivery. Tight lines followed throughout his spell, building steady pressure. His figures closed at 1/28.
10. Anrich Nortje - 2.5/10
Though Nortje brought raw pace, he missed subtle changes between deliveries. Without taking a single wicket, his figures slipped, 39 runs off just four overs, the costliest among LSG’s bowlers that day.
11. Prince Yadav - 9/10
Fresh off a stunning performance, Prince Yadav lit up the field for LSG. One over changed everything when he dismissed Nissanka, then Axar, without pause. His spell ended sharply - 2/20.
12. Mohsin Khan - 7/10
One wicket, yes, but what mattered more was where he landed each delivery. Four overs, 19 runs, nothing flashy, just steady work. When Rizvi and Stubbs linked up, few pushed back, but he did, even if alone. Ended with Nitish Rana’s name against his tally.
