Delhi Capitals Cruise Past Lucknow Super Giants with Clinical 8-Wicket Win

A composed chase and smart leadership from Axar Patel saw Delhi Capitals (DC) register a convincing 8-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their latest IPL 2025 clash, chasing down 160 with 13 balls to spare. Powered by KL Rahul’s measured 57* and Axar's fiery 34*, DC displayed balance, intent, and execution to dominate proceedings at home.

Put in to bat, LSG started brightly as Aiden Markram top-scored with a fluent 52 off 33 balls, supported by Ayush Badoni's quick 36. But from a strong position at 87/0, their innings unraveled, losing six wickets for just 72 runs. Mukesh Kumar emerged as the standout bowler for Delhi, finishing with figures of 4/33 and triggering the collapse with crucial wickets in the death overs.

Reflecting on the innings, Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant, who batted lower down the order, admitted:

"Yes, definitely. We knew we were around 20 runs short today. In Lucknow, the toss plays a huge role—whoever bowls first tends to get a lot of assistance from the surface. We needed to stay in the game longer, but we couldn’t quite get away with the bat when it mattered."
Pant also shed light on team dynamics, saying,
"Mayank just came back from the NCA, and we’re trying to find the right role and place for him in the XI. We sent Samad up the order to capitalize early, but we got a bit stuck in the middle. It’s something we’ll reflect on."

In response, Delhi got off to a lively start with Abishek Porel scoring a confident 51 off 36 deliveries. After his dismissal, KL Rahul took control, guiding the chase with a calm and classy half-century. Captain Axar Patel played the aggressor's role, hammering an unbeaten 34 off just 20 balls to finish the job.

Speaking after the match, DC skipper Axar Patel said:

"It was an up-and-down game. We didn’t pick up wickets during the powerplay, but we did well to restrict the total and stay in the contest. Every bowler stepped up to pull things back brilliantly."
Axar, who opened the bowling himself despite managing a finger injury, explained:
"I’m feeling a lot better now. When you’re in good rhythm, it becomes easier to bowl four overs on the trot."

Tactically astute, Axar revealed his bowling plans, particularly against key LSG batters:

"When Pooran came to bat, I remembered Starc dismissing him in the last game, so I brought him on straightaway to try and repeat that matchup."

With the bat, he continues to thrive in the No. 4 role:

"I bat according to the situation and try to take on bowlers based on my strengths. When I promote myself, I already know who I want to target."

Despite the win, Axar called for improvements in the field:

"Fielding is one area we really need to improve. We’ve been dropping catches consistently, and that hurts—especially when bowlers are executing plans well."

With this victory, Delhi Capitals sent a strong message to their competitors, underlining their growing momentum and sharp tactical edge in the tournament.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Rahul Returns to Lucknow in High-Stakes Clash vs LSG