LSG lost its first match of the IPL 2026 season by six wickets against DC at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
The Match
Batting first, the Rishabh Pant-led side could only post a total of 141 runs in a wicket, which had something in it for the bowlers, and the bowling attack of the Delhi Capitals made full use of it by picking wickets at regular intervals, thereby keeping the opposition batters in check.
The Performance
DC’s bowling was led by two fast bowlers in the form of Lungi Ngidi and T Natrajan, both of whom picked up three wickets each and did not let the LSG batters take charge either in the first six overs or at the backend of the innings at a stage where the team had two set batters, Abdul Samad and Shabaz Ahmed.
The Support
The fast bowling pair was supported by two experienced Indian spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and captain Axar Patel, who picked up the remaining three wickets, with Rishabh Pant getting run out.
The Chase
Although DC also got off to a shaky start while chasing a target of 142 runs by losing four wickets for 26 runs inside the powerplay, the pair of Samwer Rizvi, who came in as an impact substitute, and Tristan Stubbs formed an unbeaten partnership of 119 runs to take the team over the line, with Rizvi scoring a gritty half-century.
The Reaction
One moment after the match that caught everyone’s attention was when LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka was seen having an animated chat with captain Rishabh Pant, which appeared to be quite similar to what he had with KL Rahul a couple of seasons ago.
Also Read: IPL 2026: Sanjeev Goenka Recreates Infamous KL Rahul Moment After LSG’s Loss Against DC
The Post
However, Goenka backed the team to make a strong comeback. In a post made on the social media platform X, Goenka wrote, “This is a long season, and moments like these are part of building something meaningful. I have full confidence in our captain and the team to respond with strength.”
“To our fans, thank you for your support at Ekana today, we will come back stronger. The story of @LucknowIPL this season is far from written,” he added.
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