Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 1 : Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs' tenacious stand with the bat helped Delhi Capitals (DC) register a six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in both teams' first match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), on Wednesday at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
In a match that seemed to be moving towards a low-scoring thriller after LSG posted 141 in 18.4 overs, DC showcased their middle-order resilience to clinch the victory with 17 balls remaining. Despite a rocky start to their chase, DC's Sameer Rizvi (70* off 47 balls) and Tristan Stubbs (39* off 32 balls) turned the tide with a match-winning partnership.
DC's chase began in disastrous fashion as Mohammed Shami, making his LSG debut, struck on the very first ball to dismiss KL Rahul for a golden duck. Shortly after, Mohsin Khan removed Nitish Rana (15), and Prince Yadav claimed two wickets in a single over--including the big scalp of skipper Axar Patel for a duck--leaving DC reeling at 30/4 after five overs.
With their backs against the wall, Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs joined forces. The duo initially played with caution, navigating the tricky middle overs before shifting gears. Rizvi was the aggressor, reaching a brilliant half-century in just 37 balls. His unbeaten 119-run partnership off 76 balls with Stubbs effectively took the game away from the hosts.
While LSG's bowlers, particularly Mohsin Khan (1/19 in 4 overs) and the debutant Prince Yadav (2/20 in 3 overs), showed great heart, the target of 142 proved just too small to defend against the composure of Rizvi and Stubbs.
Delhi Capitals have now secured five consecutive wins against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, making them the third team against whom DC has achieved such a streak.
Previously, they had also won five consecutive matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2020 and 2023, and against Rajasthan Royals from 2018 to 2020, according to CricViz.
Sameer Rizvi was awarded the Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings. After the match, Rizvi credited the coaches' support and familiarity with home conditions for his performance. He said that he aimed to play positively in the powerplay, adjusted after early wickets and focused on punishing loose deliveries rather than waiting until reaching fifty.
"During practice sessions and matches, I was told I'll bat at 4 and was given a lot of support by the coaches. Playing at home, you know the conditions and that helped as my state league takes place here. I wanted to be positive in the powerplay but two wickets fell and the situation changed, Stubbs said respect the conditions. Once we were set, we knew we could play our natural game. It's not that I started hitting after getting to fifty. I wanted to take on bad balls, if I got it I'd hit it to the boundary," he said at the post-match presentation.
Earlier, LSG were bowled out for 141 runs. Asked to bat first, LSG captain Rishabh Pant came to open the batting alongside Mitchell Marsh.
The duo started well and was looking good, but an unlucky dismissal of Pant started the flurry of wickets for the hosts. Marsh's straight shot touched Mukesh Kumar's hand, and the ball went straight into the wickets at the non-striker's end, where Pant was outside the crease.
While Aiden Markram hit a six and a four, Axar Patel bowled him. T Natarajan got rid of Ayush Badoni cheaply. Nicholas Pooran couldn't score in double digits and holed out to Lungi Ngidi. Marsh's fighting knock of 35 runs off 28 balls, with the help of three sixes and a couple of fours, was ended by Kuldeep Yadav. He also dismissed Mukul Choudhary with a soft caught and bowled dismissal.
Abdul Samad made 36 runs off 25 balls and added 33 runs for the seventh wicket with Shahbaz Ahmed, who remained unbeaten on 15 runs off 16 balls. Lungi Ngidi got the wickets of tailenders to restrict the LSG's innings to 141 runs.
For DC, Ngidi and Natarajan took three wickets each, whereas Kuldeep Yadav grabbed a couple of wickets. Captain Axar Patel also got one wicket of Markram.