As the ongoing 18th edition of the Indian Premier League heats up, Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals are gearing up to face off in the fourth match of the tournament, scheduled to be held on Monday at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. The IPL contests are always thrilling not just because of the on-field action, but also due to the intriguing storylines surrounding them. For this contest, there’s an added layer of excitement surrounding two key players — KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant — who will be up against their former teams.

Rishab Pant, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, will be leading Lucknow Super Giants for the very first time in IPL after being bought by the franchise during the mega auction last year. However, his connection with Delhi Capitals runs deep, having led the team previously. Pant’s move to LSG marks a fresh beginning, and his leadership will be crucial for LSG’s success in the upcoming season.

On the other side of the coin, KL Rahul, another talented wicketkeeper-batsman fresh off a blazing campaign at the champions Trophy, will be lining up for Delhi Capitals. Rahul, who previously led LSG in last two seasons, will be a key player for Capitals. DC, meanwhile, will be led by Axar Patel. 

Both DC and LSG have experienced mixed fortunes in previous IPL seasons, and this encounter will set the tone for their respective campaigns. With DC having players like Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul and Mitchell Starc, the match is bound to be high on drama and intensity. LSG, on the other hand, are rife with challenges, with all their main bowlers like Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep nursing their respective injuries. However, they still have a solid lineup featuring the likes of  Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and David Miller. 

Head to head

Matches - 5

LSG Won - 3

DC Won - 2

Lucknow Super Giants probable XII: Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (c, wk), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav

Delhi Capitals probable XII: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Axar Patel (c), Ashutosh Sharma, Sameer Rizvi/Mohit Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar