LSG vs DC (Photo by BCCI) NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to bat first in their IPL clash with Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday, relying on timely help from the new pitch. With both teams fielding strong XIs, the contest promises to be an even bat-to-ball battle. However, the notable omission was Arjun Tendulkar, who did not find a place either in the playing eleven or on the bench. Sachin Tendulkar’s son was traded to LSG ahead of the mini-auction but remains on the sidelines.
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Angkrish Raghuvanshi only focused on team winsExplaining the decision to bowl first, Axar added: “We will bowl first. First game, fresh wicket, it is a red firm wicket and can help in the first 6 overs. Data says that a lot of matches are won by the team that bats first, but we thought it is the first game and we will bowl.” He also confirmed Delhi’s overseas combination, adding: “Nissanka, Miller, Stubbs and Lungi Ngidi, our four overseas players.”The Delhi Capitals playing XI features KL Rahul behind the stumps, alongside Pathum Nissanka and Nitish Rana at the top. Axar leads the side with all-round responsibility, supported by power forwards David Miller and Tristan Stubbs in the middle order. Their bowling attack includes Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar and Ngidi, giving them variety of pace and spin.Led by Rishabh Pant, Lucknow Super Giants opted for a strong overseas core that included Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Anrich Nortje. Pant, who also keeps wickets, sounded confident ahead of the match. “I don’t think goals like that matter here… I think it’s definitely a whole new energy. You know, we’ve changed the color, the logo and definitely the mindset.”Reflecting on last year’s games, he added: “We like to learn from last season, but I think the bowlers are really fit and ready … everyone is willing to go on the field and just make an impact.”
LSG vs DC Playing XI
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (w/o), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohsin Khan, Mohammed Shami, Anrich Nortje, Prince YadavLucknow Super Giants Impact sub: Digvesh Rathi, Avesh Khan, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akshat RaghuvanshiDelhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh KumarDelhi Capitals Impact subs: Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, Sameer Rizvi, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair
