IPL 2026: Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals Reveals Playing XIs Ahead Of Ekana Tie

Lucknow: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will play their opening match of IPL 2026 on April 1st against Delhi Capitals at their home ground, the Ekana Stadium. In this match, the eyes of cricket fans will be fixed on the performance of LSG captain Rishabh Pant. Meanwhile, for Delhi Capitals, Axar Patel is expected to make contributions with both bat and ball. Neither team managed to secure a spot in the playoffs last season. Consequently, both teams will be aiming to kick off the new season with a victory.

Both teams appear to be quite strong and well-balanced. The Lucknow Super Giants are under the command of Rishabh Pant, while the Delhi Capitals are being led by Indian team star Axar Patel. Lucknow boasts international stars such as Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran—players capable of turning the tide of the match at any moment. In the bowling department, the experienced duo of Mohammed Shami and Avesh Khan will test the Delhi batsmen with their pace and swing on the Ekana pitch.

The Axar Patel-led Delhi Capitals also look extremely balanced. The squad features explosive batsmen like KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, and David Miller—players adept at posting massive totals. In the bowling unit, Kuldeep Yadav's spin and T. Natarajan's pinpoint yorkers could prove to be key weapons for Delhi.

Given the nature of the Lucknow pitch, the toss is expected to play a crucial role. Whichever team wins the toss will likely opt to bowl first. Will the Lucknow team celebrate a victory in the 'City of Nawabs,' or will the Delhi team conquer this fortress? Stay tuned to this live blog for minute-by-minute updates. Squads of Both Teams
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Squad

Rishabh Pant (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvijay Singh Rathore, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mohammed Shami, Matthew Breetzke, Josh Inglis, Himmat Singh, Mukul Chaudhary, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Arjun Sachin Tendulkar, Manimaran Siddharth, Mayank Prabhu Yadav, Akash Maharaj Singh.

Delhi Capitals (DC) Squad

Axar Patel (Captain), KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Prithvi Shaw, Abhishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Dushmantha Chameera, Kyle Jamieson, T. Natarajan, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana, Karun Nair, Pathum Nissanka, Sahil Parekh, Sameer Rizvi, Madhav Tiwari, Aquib Nabi Dar, Tripurana Vijay, Ajay Jadhav Mandal.