Delhi Capitals won the toss and opted to bowl first against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026’s fifth match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. DC captain Axar Patel mentioned that they preferred to bowl first due to the red soil pitch conditions and the historical advantage of the second team winning more often. Patel emphasized the importance of a strong start this season to avoid a repeat of the previous year’s failure to qualify for the playoffs.
Regarding their overseas players, Patel highlighted the inclusion of three batters – David Miller, Pathum Nissanka, Tristan Stubbs, and bowler Lungi Ngidi in the playing XI. Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant expressed confidence in his team’s readiness and positive energy for the match. Pant acknowledged the team’s improvements in mindset and preparation compared to the previous season, emphasizing the importance of addressing past shortcomings and injuries.
The playing XIs for the match included Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, and Kuldeep Yadav for Delhi Capitals. Lucknow Super Giants fielded Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, and Anrich Nortje.
