The Ekana Stadium is set for a high-stakes encounter as Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants take on Axar Patel’s Delhi Capitals today (April 22). DC, riding high with five wins in seven games, sit comfortably in second place on the points table. Meanwhile, LSG, with 10 points from eight matches, are fifth but can jump up the ladder with a win.
However, both teams have skipper concerns. Rishabh Pant’s form with the bat has been underwhelming, scoring just 106 runs in eight matches of which 63 were in a single innings. His strike rate of 98 is a cause for concern. On the DC side, Axar Patel has impressed with the bat, striking at 159 for his 140 runs but his bowling returns, just one wicket from seven games at 9.36 economy, have left much to be desired.
The match will be played on a red soil pitch, where LSG have lost both games this season. It’s a worrying stat, especially with Pant and Co. desperate for consistency. Head-to-head, the two teams are evenly matched with three wins each from six encounters.
The weather is expected to be clear, with temperatures dipping from 36°C to 29°C as the game progresses. Coming to the pitch, the surface at the Ekana has proven to be a balanced one this IPL season. During the powerplay, the ball tends to come onto the bat nicely but batters still need to take their time to settle in before going for big shots.
Both pacers and spinners have found something to work with on this track. With conditions expected to change under lights, dew could play a significant role in the second innings. As a result, the captain winning the toss is likely to choose to bowl first, hoping to capitalise on the early movement and chase down a total with the advantage of a damp outfield later on.
LSG Predicted XI: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav
Impact player: Digvesh Rathi
DC Predicted XI: Abhishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Karun Nair, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar
Impact player: Donovan Ferreira
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has successfully acquired a 90.5% stake in Uprising Science, the parent company of D2C personal care brand Minimalist, for a total cash consideration of INR 2,706,44,95,728. The acquisition was carried out through a combination of primary infusion and secondary share purchase. With this, Uprising Science and its subsidiaries have now become subsidiaries of HUL.
IPL 2025, LSG vs DC Match Preview: Rishabh Pant’s Super Giants to take on Axar and Co at Ekana – Check probable Playing XI, pitch report and more – The Financial Express
