Defending 141, the Super Giants required early breakthroughs, and Mohd. Shami delivered an electrifying start on his franchise debut. Firing up the Lucknow crowd, Shami dismissed Delhi’s newly acquired opener KL Rahul for a golden duck on the very first ball of the innings.

The Delhi Capitals overcame a nightmare start to register a clinical six-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants in Match 5 of the TATA IPL 2026. Chasing a modest 142 on a tricky Ekana Stadium surface, the Capitals found themselves reeling in the Powerplay before an unbroken century partnership between Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs guided them home with 17 deliveries to spare. The match also served a dramatic narrative twist, pitting Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul against their former franchises in a highly anticipated encounter.

Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bowl first, backing his bowlers to exploit the red-soil surface in Lucknow. His decision paid immediate dividends as the Capitals consistently chipped away at the Super Giants’ batting lineup, eventually bowling them out for 141 in 18.4 overs.