In a very interesting move, Rishabh Pant promoted himself to opening in Lucknow Super Giantsโ opening IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals. However, the decision didnโt prove fruitful as the southpaw struggled heavily to keep going. He made just seven runs in nine balls before being dismissed in an unfortunate fashion.ย
In the third over of the match, Mitchell Marsh struck a straight lofted shot that Mukesh Kumar tried to catch but couldnโt hold on to. The ball deflected off his hand and hit the stumps, catching Rishabh Pant well out of his crease, resulting in a run-out. He walked out with a sarcastic smile, while head coach Justin Langer was disappointed with how things panned out.
Aiden Markram falls cheaply
After Pant departed, Aiden Markram joined Marsh in the middle. The South Africa international showed potential, smacking a boundary and a six, but failed to carry on with the momentum. In the final over of the powerplay, Axar Patel got the better of him as Markram departed for 11 runs off eight balls. After he departed, Ayush Badoni joined Marsh in the middle but he too couldnโt make the most of the opportunity, scoring a three-ball duck. After him, Nicholas Pooran joined Marsh in the middle.
No Mayank Yadav for LSG
Despite being deemed fit, Mayank Yadav failed to break into the playing XI of Lucknow. He was retained for INR 11 crore last year but due to injury, the pacer represented only twice. Given that he was fit, Mayank was expected to feature against Delhi, but the team management trusted Mohsin Khan and Prince Yadav over him.
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (wk/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Prince Yadav
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar
Also Read: