In a thrilling encounter at the Ekana Stadium, Sameer Rizvi proved why he is one of the most exciting young talents in the IPL. Coming in as an Impact Substitute, Rizvi played a calculated yet aggressive knock of 70 off 47 balls* to anchor Delhi Capitals to a 6-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants.
A SIX TO SEAL IT! 🙌
Sameer Rizvi does it in style 🥳@DelhiCapitals kick off their #TATAIPL 2026 campaign with a 6️⃣-wicket victory 👏👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/lfP7dRNKfg#KhelBindaas | #LSGvDC pic.twitter.com/vVPkz5kqzd
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2026
The Collapse and the Rescue
Chasing a modest target of 142, Delhi’s top order crumbled under the lights. The new ball moved dangerously, and within the first five overs, Delhi was reeling at 26/4. Veterans and stars alike—including KL Rahul and captain Axar Patel—fell cheaply to the swing and pace of Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav.
However, the game turned when Rizvi joined Tristan Stubbs (39*). The duo stitched together a massive 119-run unbeaten partnership. Rizvi, initially cautious, eventually broke free, smashing 5 fours and 4 sixes to chase down the target with 17 balls to spare.
Lucknow’s Batting Woes
Earlier in the evening, Delhi skipper Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bowl, citing the fresh red-soil pitch. The decision paid dividends immediately. Delhi’s pace duo of Lungi Ngidi (3/27) and T. Natarajan (3/29) exploited the conditions perfectly, dismantling the Lucknow lineup.
Despite a brief resistance from Abdul Samad (36) and Mitchell Marsh (35), Lucknow collapsed to 141 all out in 18.4 overs. The lack of a substantial total ultimately cost the home side, despite their early heroics with the ball.
