HIGHLIGHTS DC vs LSG IPL 2025 Match 4 - Result, Scorecard

We are back for the crucial run chase! The umpires are back out in the middle and so are the players of LSG led by Rishabh Pant. Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk will be the opening duo for DC in this contest. Also, LSG have used their Impact sub to bring on M Siddharth in place of Mitchell Marsh. It will be Shardul Thakur though who will take the new ball here. Let's go...

... The Run Chase ...

With dew already making its presence felt, this total might be around par, making LSG’s bowling effort crucial in their defence. On the other hand, Delhi Capitals will be thrilled with their stellar comeback and will carry all the momentum into this chase but will need to bat exceptionally well to hunt down this mammoth target. We are in for a thrilling chase, so stick around as DC’s reply is up next!

Mitchell Marsh of LSG is up for a quick chat. He says that they have batted really well but would have hoped to get a few more as how the T20 cricket goes these days. He feels that this is a competitive score on this surface. Adds that he is just backing his skills to hit the ball and the partnerships are the key to achieving any score and they tried to execute that. Mentions that the ball was swinging a bit on the wicket early on. States that he enjoyed batting here as it is a small ground and a good wicket to bat on.

LSG, who were cruising at 161/2, suddenly found themselves in a freefall, slumping to 177/6 in no time. The collapse brought Delhi Capitals right back into the contest. David Miller was left stranded at one end, struggling to find any fluency, which meant LSG couldn’t get the late flourish they were banking on apart from those two sixes on the last two balls.

Pooran got an early lifeline when Sameer Rizvi dropped him on 17, a mistake that DC could come to regret. Both batters kept up the onslaught, matching each other stroke for stroke. However, DC’s pacers adjusted their lengths and took the pace off, which slowed the scoring rate slightly. Mukesh Kumar finally provided a much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Marsh, offering DC a glimmer of hope. Pooran, however, continued his assault, smashing Stubbs in his first over, but DC managed to pull things back just in time with a couple of tight overs, claiming the key wickets of Rishabh Pant and Pooran in the process.

Put in to bat first, LSG came out with intent, led by Mitchell Marsh, who wasted no time in taking the attack to the bowlers. Aiden Markram got off to a decent start but couldn't carry on, falling to debutant Vipraj Nigam. Delhi Capitals had hoped that this wicket would slow down the momentum, but Marsh kept going and found an able partner in Nicholas Pooran, who was in no mood to hold back. The duo powered LSG to a dominant 64/1 at the end of the Powerplay.

It has been a commendable fightback from Delhi Capitals as they restrict Lucknow Super Giants to 209/8 at the end of the innings. At one stage, LSG looked set for a much bigger total, but they lost their way in the second half, leaving them slightly disappointed with where they eventually finished. But make no mistake, this is still a massive total, and the pressure will now be on DC’s batters to step up.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, SIX! Miller goes bang-bang to end proceedings! Mohit Sharma goes for the slower ball again and lands it a bit short again as well. David Miller is just waiting for it and swings from the hips and swings it all the way over cow corner for another biggie. Lucknow Super Giants finish with 209/8 on the board!

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, SIX! Finally, David Miller gets one away and he gets plenty on it as well. Another slower one, banged in slightly short and around off, MIller stays still this time and swings it over deep mid-wicket for a 92-meter six. 200 up for LSG as well!

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, David Miller can hardly lay a bat on the ball right now. Slower one, bowled on a hard length and in the channel, Miller swings across the line but is undone by the complete lack of pace.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, Top bowling this from Mohit! Banged in halfway down the track and darted across the off stump with pace of the ball, Miller reaches out and can only toe-end the ball into the off side.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, Banged into the wicket again and over middle, David Miller just makes a bit of room and swats it straight back over the bowler's head without much timing and he picks up a couple of runs.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, WIDE! Another slower ball, this time a bit shorter and wide of the off stump, MIller can't reach it and a wide is called.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, A well-disguised slower ball, bowled on a hard length and angled well across off, David Miller looks to drive but is well beaten.

Digvesh Singh is the new batter for LSG. Also, Mohit Sharma will bowl the final over of the inning.

Mitchell Starc to Ravi Bishnoi, OUT! TIMBER! Mitchell Starc doing what he does so well and mopping up the lower order here. Brings out a searing yorker now from around the wicket, honing in at the stumps. Ravi Bishnoi backs away to jam it out but the pace is just too much and the ball shatters into the stumps, knocking a couple of them out of the ground as well. Strac finishes with 3 wickets to his name!

Mitchell Starc to Ravi Bishnoi, Another aggressive delivery from Starc! Around the wicket to the right-hander, banged in short and right at Ravi Bishnoi who ducks under it.

Ravi Bishnoi will bat at number 9 for LSG.

Mitchell Starc to Shahbaz Ahmed, OUT! CAUGHT! Top comeback delivery from Mitchell Starc and he picks up his second wicket of the game. Starc brings out the bumper, bowling it at 141.6 clicks and directing it excellently right around the helmet of the batter. Shahbaz Ahmed looks to take it on but is just rushed off the deck and ends up miscuing it up over short 45 on the leg side. Tripurana Vijay there back-pedals a bit and takes a fine catch.

Mitchell Starc to Shahbaz Ahmed, FOUR! Much-needed for LSG! Hard length around middle, angling into the swinging arc and Ahmed heaves it up and over the square leg region for a boundary.

Mitchell Starc to David Miller, Takes pace off this time and bowls it on a hard length over middle, David Miller swings it away wide of deep mid-wicket and looks for two but has another slip and settles for the single.

Mitchell Starc to Shahbaz Ahmed, Starc goes full and at the pads, looking to swing it across, Shahbaz Ahmed clips it away firmly and just on the bounce to Kuldeep Yadav at fine leg who manages to get his body behind it. A single then.

Mitchell Starc (3-0-36-1) will bowl the penultimate over.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, Excellent bowling! Another slower one, banged into the deck around off, and this one stays a bit low. Miller looks to smack it into the off side but gets an underedge back to the keeper.

Mohit Sharma to Shahbaz Ahmed, Another slower one, bowled short and angled well across off, Ahmed goes after it and dabs it down through backward point for a single.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, A bit slower and into the pitch, in the swinging arc on off, Miller bangs it away on the bounce to deep mid-wicket for only a single and seems disappointed with himself.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, NO BALL AND FOUR! Freebies for David Miller and LSG as Mohit Sharma bowls a high full toss outside off. Miller slashes it away over the short third fielder and the ball runs away into the fence. Free Hit loading...

Mohit Sharma to Shahbaz Ahmed, The back-of-the-hand slower ball now, on a good length and angled across off. Ahmed waits and slaps it wide of point where the fielder makes a stop and keeps it down to one.

Mohit Sharma to David Miller, Banged in well short over middle, taking some pace off it as well, Miller hops up on his toes and pulls it down through mid-wicket for one more.

Mohit Sharma to Shahbaz Ahmed, Hard length in the channel around off, Shahbaz Ahmed stays low and plays a late punch behind point for a single.

Mohit Sharma (2-0-17-0) is back into the attack.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shahbaz Ahmed, On the shorter side and at the stumps, Ahmed waits back and works it away through mid-wiket for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shahbaz Ahmed, Bowled flatter and on a nagging length around off, Shahbaz Ahmed looks to press back and flick but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shardul Thakur, OUT! RUN OUT! Another one bites the dust and LSG going down in a hurry here. Kuldeep Yadav tosses the ball up, full and around off, Shardul Thakur leans on and drives it firmly to covers and starts off for the single. David Miller sends him back but it is too late. Axar Patel throws the ball to the keeper and Abishek Porel whips off the bails in a flash. Replays show that even the dive couldn't save Thakur. LSG now 177 for 6! Also, Shahbaz Ahmed walks out to bat now.

Is that a run out? There has been a good throw to the keeper by the cover fielder, Axar Patel, who has dislodged the bails in no time. The third umpire watches the replays and Shardul Thakur is well short of the crease so he will have to go back.

Kuldeep Yadav to Shardul Thakur, Flighted ball, on a length and turning back in from outside off, Shardul Thakur strides across to sweep but fails to get it away.

Shardul Thakur is the new batter for LSG.

Kuldeep Yadav to Ayush Badoni, OUT! CAUGHT! A rush of blood from Ayush Badoni and Kuldeep Yadav does get his second wicket. Tossed up again, on a slightly dragged length and around off. Badoni skips down the pitch and swats it lat down to long on ad straight to Tristan Stubbs who takes a comfortable catch. With this being Kuldeep's last over, maybe, Badoni could have just seen him out.

Kuldeep Yadav to David Miller, Lovely delivery but it's pitching outside leg! Kuldeep loops it up and rifts it onto leg and gets the ball to dip. This one turns and spins across the left-hander. David Miller looks to flick but plays all over it and the ball goes off the pads down to short third for a leg bye. There is also a huge shout for LBW which is turned down but Kuldeep is confident and it is sent upstairs. Nothing on UltraEdge and Ball Tracking shows that the ball just pitched outside leg.

Change? Yes, Kuldeep Yadav (3-0-19-1) will bowl out here.

Axar Patel to David Miller, All singles in that over, excellent from Axar! Flatter delivery around leg, Miller hops back and flicks it down to deep backward square leg for one more.

Axar Patel to Ayush Badoni, Length again, sliding it onto the pads, Badoni clips it away in front of square leg to make it five singles in a row.

Axar Patel to David Miller, Good length, angled across the left-hander, Miller leans back and cuts it through backward point for just one more.

Axar Patel to Ayush Badoni, Oh, that's too close for comfort! Badoni steps down the pitch and Axar just pulls the length back a touch. Badoni pushes it in front of covers and sets off for the single. Vipraj Nigam throws the ball to the keeper and the bails are whipped off but Miller dives in to safety.

Axar Patel to David Miller, Floated up a bit, a bit full and around off, David Miller leans on and works it through mid-wicket for another single.

Axar Patel to Ayush Badoni, Quicker one, sliding it in from outside off, Ayush Badoni hops back and across the off stump, easing it behind point for a single.

Strategic Break! Well, another runfest is on the cards but in the last couple of overs, the Delhi Capitals have pulled things back a long way. Lucknow Super Giants are still scoring at over 11 runs per over and will be targeting 220-230 runs but for that to manifest, this pairing of David Miller and Ayush Badoni will be crucial. DC will be targeting wickets as that is the best way to stem the flow of runs and a couple of more here would mean that the tail of LSG is exposed. Let's see how the first innings pans out. Now, Axar Patel brings himself back into the attack.

Mitchell Starc to Ayush Badoni, Looks for the yorker and ends up serving a low full toss, on off, Ayush Badoni drives it to long on and picks up a single to get off the mark straightaway.

Ayush Badoni walks out to bat now.

Mitchell Starc to Nicholas Pooran, OUT! TIMBER! Mitchell Starc has given Delhi Capitals a big wicket! Steams in from over the wicket and goes fuller and on middle and off, angling it into the batter, Nicholas Pooran looks to hoick it across the line but plays all over it. The ball zips under his bat and shatters the stumps. Nicholas Pooran departs for a well-made 75 (30) and Lucknow Super Giants are now 169/4.

Mitchell Starc to David Miller, Fuller and on off, David Miller punches it to deep cover for one.

Ouch, Mukesh Kumar just overruns the ball and his right ankle seems to have gotten stuck in the turf. He is twisting and turning in pain near the ropes and goes over the boundary line as the physio comes around to have a look. Hopefully, he is fine.

Mitchell Starc to Nicholas Pooran, Short and over off, Nicholas Pooran pulls it to the right of deep square leg. Mukesh Kumar moves across quickly but the ball bounces in front of him and spins the other way. Mukesh Kumar who overran, does well to stick his left hand back and stop the ball. In the process, he seems to have hurt his ankle.

Mitchell Starc to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Wow! Improvisation at its very best! Starc misses his grip and fires a full toss outside off. Nicholas Pooran premediates the ball and shuffles across but is surprised by the ball. He adjusts well and reverse ramps it past the keeper to his left and finds the fence at deep third. He challenges the on-field call of a fair delivery. The replays show that Pooran had crouched low and the ball was under his waist height and LSG lose a review.

Mitchell Starc to David Miller, Hurls it on a length, outside off, Miller reaches for it and cuts it to deep cover for one.

Mitchell Starc (2-0-28-0) is brought back into the attack.

Kuldeep Yadav to David Miller, 1 run and a big wicket off this over. What a contrast to the previous over from Tristan Stubbs! Full and on off, David Miller ekes out an inside edge that goes to square leg for one.

Kuldeep Yadav to David Miller, Another dot! This is some bowling! Kuldeep Yadav drops it short and on off, David Miller pushes it to cover.

David Miller is the next batter in.

Kuldeep Yadav to Rishabh Pant, OUT! CAUGHT! Rishabh Pant departs for a six-ball duck and Delhi Capitals will hope this breakthrough brings them back in the contest. Kuldeep Yadav tosses this one up, just outside off and gives the ball a lot of air, Rishabh Pant after having played three dots decides to charge at the delivery and looks to go inside out but the ball sticks to the surface and turns away a bit to go flat and straight to Faf du Plessis a long off.

Kuldeep Yadav to Rishabh Pant, That's three valuable dots on the trot! Full and on middle and leg, Rishabh Pant tucks it to short fine leg.

Kuldeep Yadav to Rishabh Pant, Full and outside off again, Rishabh Pant looks to reverse sweep but fails to get any bat on it.

Kuldeep Yadav to Rishabh Pant, Yadav lands it full, well outside off, Rishabh Pant leaves it.

Tristan Stubbs to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Absolute power! Full, on middle, Nicholas Pooran drills it straight back past the bowler and the ball rockets to long off fence for a boundary. 28 runs off the over!

Tristan Stubbs to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! Raining sixes! Sameer Rizvi look away! That dropped catch has started to hurt DC real bad! Stubbs goes full again, and keeps it just outside off, Pooran swings through the line and clears long off for the fourth consecutive six off the over.

Tristan Stubbs to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! That's three on the trot and Pooran is on a carnage! Looped full, on middle and leg, Pooran effortlessly smokes it over long on for another six.

Tristan Stubbs to Nicholas Pooran, SIX AND FIFTY FOR POORAN! He’s matched pace with Marsh, and continues after his departure too! From the moment he walked in, he’s looked in complete control, taking the attack to the bowlers with effortless power and precision. Tossed up, on middle, Pooran tonks it over long on for a mammoth six.

Tristan Stubbs to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! BANG! Nicholas Pooran continues to charge! Pitching right in the slot, around middle, Pooran gets low on a knee and slogs it over square leg for a biggie.

Tristan Stubbs to Nicholas Pooran, Starts from around the wicket and goes full, slanting it into the stumps, Nicholas Pooran taps into the bowler to his right.

Interesting move as Tristan Stubbs has now been tossed the ball. Probably because there are two lefties batting.

Mukesh Kumar to Rishabh Pant, Fuller and on middle, tucked to mid-wicket by Pant. Mukesh Kumar bowls a tight over claiming a wicket and giving away just 2 runs after being hit for a six on the very first ball of this over.

Mukesh Kumar to Rishabh Pant, Angling across, on a hard length, on middle and off, Rishabh Pant leans ahead and blocks it to cover.

THe LSG skipper, Rishabh Pant is in next.

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, OUT! CAUGHT! Mukesh Kumar gets a big wicket and provides Delhi Capitals a much-needed respite. He takes pace off and rolls his fingers over the ball, on a short of a length and well outside off. Marsh has to generate all the power as he looks to whip it across the line with a big swing. Connects off the lower half of the bat and hits it straight to Tristan Stubbs at long on. Mitchell Marsh departs after a sensational knock of 72 (36) and Lucknow Super Giants are 133/2 now.

Mukesh Kumar to Nicholas Pooran, Pulls the length short and on the bodyline, Nicholas Pooran pulls it to deep mid-wicket off the upper half of the bat and picks up a single. Seemed like another pace off delivery!

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, Fires the yorker in, on middle and off, Mitchell Marsh hits it to long on for one.

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, SIX! Overpitched by Mukesh, outside off, Mitchell Marsh throws absolutely everything at it and slices it over covers for a biggie.

Mohit Sharma to Nicholas Pooran, Exceptional over from Mohit Sharma! Has given a blueprint to the rest of what could be the best tactic to go to. Takes pace off and drops it short, angling it away, outside off, Nicholas Pooran winds up for a big swing but withdraws the shot.

Mohit Sharma to Mitchell Marsh, Another one that is bowled slower and fuller around off, Mitchell Marsh looks to hack it across but is deceived by the lack of pace. Miscues his shot to backward square leg region for one.

Mohit Sharma to Nicholas Pooran, A low full toss, around off, Pooran works it to long off for a single.

Mohit Sharma to Mitchell Marsh, Mohit Sharma doing Mohit Sharma things! Steams in and bangs the deck on a short of a length and takes all the pace off the delivery. Mitchell Marsh is way too early on the pull and misses. The ball goes off his waist to the on side and the batters sneak a leg bye.

Mohit Sharma to Nicholas Pooran, Switches to over the wicket and keeps it fuller than a length, outside off, with pace taken off, Nicholas Pooran thumps it to long on for one.

Mohit Sharma to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Swiped through! On a length, around off, Nicholas Pooran waits back and heaves it across to the right of deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

Kuldeep Yadav to Nicholas Pooran, Nagging length around off, turning away, Pooran presses back and just pushes it towards backward point for a quick run.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mitchell Marsh, Pushed through flatter at the stumps, Marsh stays low and swats it across to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mitchell Marsh, SIX! Marsh was just starting to slow down a bit and decides to just break the shackles. Flighted ball, a bit full and outside off, Marsh sits down to slog but slices it high and straight down the ground, and the ball sails over long on for a biggie.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mitchell Marsh, Flatter delivery, back of a length and over off, Marsh rocks back and punches it straight to Axar at covers this time.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mitchell Marsh, Floated up on a dragged length and wide outside off, Mitchell Marsh presses back to cut but has to reach for it and mistimes it uppishly in front of Starc at point.

Kuldeep Yadav to Nicholas Pooran, Gives it a nice loop and tosses it full on off, Pooran can only manage to drive it through wide mid off for a single.

Mohit Sharma to Mitchell Marsh, Good delivery! Seam-up this time, darted into the blockhole on off and middle, Marhs just about manages to dig it out.

Mohit Sharma to Mitchell Marsh, FOUR! Cut away into the gap! Slower ball, floated up wide outside off, Marsh waits back well and cuts it late and to the left of deep point for a boundary.

Mohit Sharma to Nicholas Pooran, Hard length on leg, Nicholas Pooran holds his shape and swings it away flat and to the left of Jake Fraser-McGurk at deep square leg who makes a sharp stop and keeps it down to one.

Mohit Sharma to Mitchell Marsh, Pitches the ball up now on off stump, Marsh heaves it across to wide long on for just a single.

Mohit Sharma to Mitchell Marsh, WIDE! Another change up from Mohit, banged in halfway down the track and this one sails over Marsh's head for a wide.

Mohit Sharma to Nicholas Pooran, Full and in the blockhole around off, Pooran jams it away through cover-point and picks up a single.

Mohit Sharma to Nicholas Pooran, WIDE! Slower one, banged in the deck and angled well across the off stump. Pooran leaves it alone for a wide.

Mohit Sharma to Mitchell Marsh, Starts with a full toss on middle, Mitchell Marsh is caught back in the crease and just punches it away in front of mid-wicket for a single.

Strategic Break! Lucknow Super Giants have stormed ahead with an explosive start, and it’s the Bison who has been at his destructive best, taking the bowlers to the cleaners from the very first ball. Delhi Capitals have struggled to find their footing, unable to build any real pressure with the ball. With Nicholas Pooran now finding his rhythm and plenty of firepower still left in the tank, LSG look poised to keep the onslaught going. DC desperately need breakthroughs to pull things back, and lapses in the field are the last thing they can afford, or this could quickly spiral out of control. Axar Patel brings in Mohit Sharma into the attack now.

Kuldeep Yadav to Nicholas Pooran, Flights it up this time on off, not all that full, Pooran leans on to make the block.

Kuldeep Yadav to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Pooran does get the sweep spot on once again! Floated up on middle, Pooran gets down to sweep and angles this one fine of deep backward square leg and beats a chasing Mitchell Starc in the deep. The 50-run stand is also up between these two!

Kuldeep Yadav to Nicholas Pooran, Beaten! Pushed through flatter and around off, turning away again, Pooran looks to repeat the shot from the last ball but is well beaten.

Kuldeep Yadav to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! Nicholas Pooran showing his range here. Nice and full on middle, turning away, Pooran lunges and gets inside the line to sweep against the turn and gets it into the fine leg fence.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mitchell Marsh, Flighted up, a bit short and wide, Marsh waits back and cuts it straight towards point for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mitchell Marsh, Nagging length on off, turning back into the right-hander, Marsh gets behind the line to block.

Kuldeep Yadav is introduced into the attack now.

Vipraj Nigam to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! Rubbing salt into the wounds and 25 runs come off that over! Not all that full and around middle, Nicholas Pooran gets down on one knee and just swings across the line, gets a top edge that flies down the ground for another biggie.

Vipraj Nigam to Nicholas Pooran, DROPPED! Oh, deary me! Sameer Rizvi has dropped a dolly here. Another rank short ball, this time around off, Nicholas Pooran goes too hard at it and miscues it completely. The ball gets sliced wide of point where Rizvi walks across and just casually drops the catch. Oh, that might be a big drop.

Vipraj Nigam to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! Shouts of 'catch it' but only people in the crowd can catch that. Fractionally short again, around middle and leg, Pooran hangs deep in the crease and pulls it over deep mid-wicket for a third six in the over.

Vipraj Nigam to Nicholas Pooran, SIX! Nicholas Pooran doesn't want to be left behind! Tossed up on off, right in the slot, Pooran stays low and just swings through the line and smokes it back over the bowler's head for another biggie.

Vipraj Nigam to Mitchell Marsh, FIFTY up for Mitchell Marsh in just 21 balls and it's his fastest IPL half-century as well. Tossed up, full and outside off, Marsh looks to fetch and slog but miscues it down to wide long on for a single.

Vipraj Nigam to Mitchell Marsh, SIX! Bludgeoned away for a mammoth six! Dropped well short over middle and leg, Mitchell Marsh rocks back and whacks it high and handsome over deep square leg for a 95-meter biggie. Onto 49 he goes then.

Mukesh Kumar to Nicholas Pooran, A dot to end but 14 runs come off it and LSG are flying at 64/1 at the end of the Powerplay. Good length on off, just angling in a bit, Nicholas Pooran with a rare front-foot defense.

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, Goes full and on off, Marsh leans on and punches it to mid on for one.

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, FOUR! Swung away once again! DC have just bowled too short to Marsh here. This is angled in at the hips, Marsh swivels and swats it away behind square leg for a boundary.

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, SIX! Mitchell Marsh isn't sparing his former side one bit here! Just too short and into the swinging arc, Marsh picks the length early and pulls it up and over deep backward square leg for a biggie.

Mukesh Kumar to Nicholas Pooran, Around the wicket to the left-hander, slightly pitched up and on middle, Pooran nudges it across in front of mid-wicket and pinches a quick single.

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, Hard-length delivery, angling it into the body, Marsh tickles it around the corner and picks up a single.

Mukesh Kumar to Mitchell Marsh, WIDE! Mukesh Kumar with a loosener to begin with. Slightly short over leg and angling in, Marsh looks to pull but misses and a wide is called.

Vipraj Nigam to Nicholas Pooran, FOUR! STREAKY! Nigam keeps it shorter and outside off, Nicholas Pooran stays on the back foot and looks to fetch it out to the leg side. He gets a leading top edge that flies just wide of short third man for a boundary.

Vipraj Nigam to Nicholas Pooran, Nagging length, touch outside off, Nicholas Pooran cuts it but straight to backward point.

Nicholas Pooran walks in at number 3.

Vipraj Nigam to Aiden Markram, OUT! CAUGHT! Vipraj Nigam gets the much-needed breakthrough for Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants lose Aiden Markram here for 15(13). Nigam gives air to the ball and pitches it up, around off, seems like the wrong'un, Aiden Markram lunges and looks to take it on and go down the ground. He mistimes it as the bat face gets turned in his hands and the ball goes towards long off where Mitchell Starc takes it safely with both hands at around chest height.

Vipraj Nigam to Mitchell Marsh, Short and around off, gets an extra bounce off the surface, Mitchell Marsh tries to cut it but gets surprised. The ball takes the inside edge and goes towards square leg for a single.

Vipraj Nigam to Mitchell Marsh, FOUR! PUNISHED! Nigam keeps it on the pads again and on the dragged length, Mitchell Marsh just goes back and pulls it towards deep backward square leg for a boundary.

Vipraj Nigam to Aiden Markram, Begins with a length ball and on the pads, easy for Aiden Markram to turn it towards deep square leg for a single.

Vipraj Nigam, the debutant to have a bowl now.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, Dragged length again, touch outside off, Mitchell Marsh hops up a bit and slices it in the gap towards sweeper cover for a couple of runs.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, Short and around off, Marsh tries to make room and slices it but finds the fielder at extra cover.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, Drags his length, around off, Marsh chops it out to cover point.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, A massive appeal for LBW but the umpire turns it down! Axar talks to the keeper and takes a review here! He offers flight on this ball and pitches it up and around middle, comes in with the angle. Mitchell Marsh goes on his knee and looks to sweep it over mid-wicket. He misses and gets hit on the back pad. The UltraEdge shows that there is no bat involved and the Ball Tracking presents that it is missing the leg stump. Delhi Capitals lose a review here.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, FOUR! SLICED! Touch short from Axar and well outside off, Mitchell Marsh rocks back and cuts it in the gap towards backward point for a boundary.

Axar Patel to Aiden Markram, Dragged length, around off, Aiden Markram punches it to long off for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Mitchell Marsh, Ends with a low full toss, around middle, Mitchell Marsh toe-ends it to mid off. 21 off the over.

Mitchell Starc to Mitchell Marsh, FOUR! PUNISHED! Starc comes around the wicket and bowls it on a good length, around middle, tries to not give any room to the batter. Mitchell Marsh just gets on top of the bounce and pulls it along the ground this time towards the vacant deep square leg region for another boundary.

Mitchell Starc to Mitchell Marsh, SIX! HITTING OF THE HIGHEST ORDER! Too full and on the pads, very easy for Mitchell Marsh as he comes forward and just flicks it with soft hands. The ball goes over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

Mitchell Starc to Mitchell Marsh, FOUR! Up and over! Back of a length from Starc this time and into the body, tries to surprise the batter. Mitchell Marsh shifts his weight to the back foot and pulls it towards deep square leg for a boundary.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Goes fuller and on the pads, Aiden tucks it towards mid on for a single.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, SIX! A QUALITY SHOT! Starc bowls it on a cross seam, follows the batter and around leg, on a good length, Aiden Markram makes a bit of room and presents the full face of the bat. He lofts it inside out over cover for a massive six.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, Short and around off, Mitchell Marsh pushes it towards short third man.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, Dragged length, around off and middle, Marsh defends it to cover again.

Axar Patel to Mitchell Marsh, Slows it up, on the shorter length, around off, Marsh drops it down to cover.

Axar Patel to Aiden Markram, A tight single! Nagging length, around off and middle, Markram chops it out towards cover and runs off for a quick single.

Axar Patel to Aiden Markram, FOUR! SLAPPED! Axar keeps it shorter and around off, offers a bit of width, Aiden Markram clears out his front leg and slashes it in the gap towards cover point for a boundary.

Axar Patel to Aiden Markram, Nagging length, from around the wicket, on off, Aiden Markram flat-bats at it to cover.

Spin from the other end and it will be the skipper, Axar Patel to bowl.

Mitchell Starc to Mitchell Marsh, SIX! FIRST OF TODAY'S MANY! Hard length, angling into the batter, around middle and leg, Mitchell Marsh stands tall and picks up the length. He uses his wrists to flick it over deep square leg for a biggie.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Aiden Markram and Lucknow Super Giants get underway finally on the fifth ball! A hint of inward shape on a fuller length, into the line of the stumps by Starc, Aiden Markram takes a few steps forward to take it on but only manages to get an inside edge onto the pads. He runs off for a quick single as the ball gets deflected towards the left of the bowler.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Bangs in short of a length, around middle and leg, Aiden Markram looks to pull it but gets beaten by the pace.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Back of a length, around off and middle, Aiden Markram gets on top of the bounce and turns it to mid-wicket.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Slightly fuller and around off, Aiden defends it to cover again.

Mitchell Starc to Aiden Markram, Begins with a good-length ball, just around off, Aiden Markram hops up a bit and drops it down towards cover for no run.

We are all set for the start of this contest! The crowd is buzzing as the two umpires make their way out to the middle and Axar Patel can be seen leading his troops in a huddle before the DC players stride onto the field. It will be the new-look opening duo of Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram that will start things with the bat for LSG. An all overseas affair to kick things off as Mitchell Starc has the new ball in hand and he is raring to go. Let's play...

Impact Player options for LSG - M Siddharth, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Akash Singh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar.

Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI) - Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Nicholas Pooran, David Miller, Ayush Badoni, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Prince Yadav (On IPL debut), Ravi Bishnoi, and Digvesh Singh (On IPL debut).

Impact Player options for DC - Karun Nair, Ashutosh Sharma, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Darshan Nalkande.

Delhi Capitals (Playing XI) - Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel (WK), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam (On IPL debut), Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma and Mukesh Kumar.

The skipper of Lucknow Super Giants, Rishabh Pant, says that they would have bowled first as well. Adds that it looks like a good wicket for batting. Mentions that there have been a lot of emotions with DC as he has played for them only till now but it is a different experience coming into LSG and he just hopes to do well for this side. States that the preparation has been good as they have batted really well in the nets and everyone is looking in the right shape and mind. Informs that their overseas players are Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran and David Miller.

Axar Patel, the skipper of Delhi Capitals, says that the dew might come in later and taking that in consideration, they want to chase. On knowing how Rishabh plays and the tactics, he says both know each other well. Adds that he has played for this franchise for a while and knows what is expected of him and the team. Mentions Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs and Mitchell Starc are their overseas players and they have three pacers and three spinners in the lineup.

TOSS - The flip of the coin lands in favor of Axar Patel. Delhi Capitals will BOWL first.

PITCH REPORT - Pommie Mbangwa is pitchside. Pommie says that there was a bit of inclement weather around but hopefully there isn't much rain and says that the square boundaries are equidistant at 62 meters on either side. WV Raman joins him and says that the pitch has been rolled in nicely and is hard without much grass and the curator has had ample time to prepare. Reckons that this track should provide ample runs and the average score on this particular strip is about 190.

With Visakhapatnam offering a batting-friendly pitch, expect a high-scoring contest. The surface may have good bounce and carry, favouring stroke-makers. The weather looks clear, so rain shouldn’t be a factor. The toss could be crucial, as both captains might prefer chasing under lights. DC looks like the more balanced team on paper, but LSG’s power hitters could turn the game around if they fire. With both teams eager to make an early impact, expect fireworks! Stay tuned as the toss and playing XIs will be announced shortly!

Lucknow Super Giants, however, have some early setbacks to deal with, particularly in their bowling department. Injuries have forced them to make changes, with Shardul Thakur replacing Mohsin Khan, while key pacers Mayank Yadav and Avesh Khan remain unavailable. This leaves LSG with an inexperienced pace attack, which could be a concern. However, their batting lineup looks explosive, featuring Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, and Rishabh Pant. Pooran, retained for a hefty sum, is expected to be the backbone of their middle order, while Mitchell Marsh is likely to open the innings. The biggest question for LSG is, who will partner Marsh at the top? With Pant's batting position still undefined, the team management might experiment in the early games. However, their bowling department looks thin, relying heavily on Ravi Bishnoi to take wickets as he looks to be the most experienced guy in the bowling group. Their bowling will have to step up massively to challenge Delhi’s strong batting unit.

Delhi Capitals have built a balanced squad with a mix of experience and youth. Their top order looks explosive, with Jake Fraser-McGurk, whose attacking fifties set IPL 2024 on fire, set to open alongside Faf du Plessis. This combination brings the perfect blend of fearless power-hitting and seasoned stability, making them a dangerous duo. The news from LSG's camp is, that their experienced batter KL Rahul will miss this match due to personal reasons. Their middle order has serious firepower with Ashutosh Sharma, Tristan Stubbs, and Axar Patel, all capable of finishing games in style. But the real game-changer for DC could be their bowling attack. The addition of Mitchell Starc, fresh from his heroics in the IPL 2024 final, adds serious firepower to their pace unit. He will be leading the attack alongside Mohit Sharma and T Natarajan, while spin will be handled by Kuldeep Yadav, who remains one of the best wrist-spinners in T20 cricket. With all bases covered, DC will be looking to start their campaign with a statement win.

Hello and welcome to the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam, which is set to host a big 4th match of this Indian Premier League 2025 where Delhi Capitals take on Lucknow Super Giants in what promises to be a thrilling contest. Both teams are coming into this season with fresh squads and new leadership after failing to qualify for the playoffs last year. This game also marks an interesting swap of star wicketkeeper-batters, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul,  as Pant, DC’s former captain, was the biggest buy in the mega auction and is now leading LSG, while Rahul, LSG’s previous skipper, has moved to Delhi and will likely to play a specialist batter. With both teams desperate for a strong start, the stakes are high, and the battle for early momentum in the tournament is well and truly on!

... MATCH DAY ... 

The 2025 Indian Premier League makes its first stop in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, where the Delhi Capitals take on the Lucknow Super Giants to kickstart a new week. Like last year, Delhi has opted to use the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium as one of their two home venues. For the Capitals, it’s a fresh start under Axar Patel, who has taken over the captaincy following the franchise’s decision to part ways with Rishabh Pant. Axar has grown in stature over the past year, winning titles with India at the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy. He leads a well-rounded squad that includes retained players Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, and Kuldeep Yadav. Jake Fraser-McGurk was secured via the Right-to-Match card, while Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul, two highly experienced campaigners, were key acquisitions at the auction, with Faf also named vice-captain. The Capitals further bolstered their batting with the addition of Donovan Ferreira, while Harry Brook was signed but later withdrew from the tournament, with DC yet to name a replacement. In the pace department, Mitchell Starc and Dushmantha Chameera bring serious firepower, supported by T Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, and Mukesh Kumar. Among the domestic recruits, Karun Nair joins after a stellar domestic season, along with Ashutosh Sharma, who impressed for Punjab Kings last year, and the promising Sameer Rizvi. The spin attack has fresh faces in Vipraj Nigam and Tripurana Vijay, with leggie Nigam also offering depth with the bat. Delhi finished sixth last season, while Lucknow endured a similar mid-table finish, ending in seventh place. The Super Giants have entered a new era under Rishabh Pant, who became the most expensive buy at the 2025 auction. They have injected serious overseas batting firepower with the signings of David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Matthew Breetzke while retaining the dynamic Nicholas Pooran. Among Indian talents, Ayush Badoni endured an underwhelming 2024 campaign but was retained, and he will be eager to justify the franchise’s faith. Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar add versatility as all-rounders. However, LSG’s pace attack lacks significant international experience, with Shamar Joseph being the only overseas specialist, brought back via the Right-to-Match card. Their plans were further disrupted by Mohsin Khan’s injury, leading to Shardul Thakur’s inclusion as a replacement. Uncertainty looms over Mayank Yadav’s availability, but LSG have bolstered their domestic pace options with Akash Deep, Akash Singh, and Avesh Khan. Ravi Bishnoi leads the spin attack and will be crucial for LSG, with Shahbaz Ahmed and M Siddharth providing support. Lucknow will look to get off to a strong start as they begin a new chapter under Pant’s leadership. In the two meetings between these two sides during the 2024 edition, DC emerged victorious on both occasions. Will DC extend their streak, or will LSG turn the tables and start their new era on a winning note? We shall find out.