Delhi Capitals, despite being gallant with the ball, lost early wicket, making the team vulnerable at Lucknow. Despite the early stumble, a 119-run partnership between Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs won Delhi Capitals their first match in the 2026 IPL, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, winning comfortably by 6 wickets. Chasing 142, DC were rocked immediately when KL Rahul fell first ball to Mohammed Shami. Pathum Nissanka followed for 1, while Nitish Rana’s 15 off 17 briefly steadied the innings before Mohsin Khan struck. When Axar Patel was trapped by Prince Yadav for a duck, DC were 26/4 in 4.3 overs and the chase looked tilted towards Lucknow. That was when Rizvi and Stubbs absorbed the pressure with a stand built on numbers and composure. Rizvi remained unbeaten on 70 off 47 balls, striking five fours and four sixes at 148.93, while Stubbs’ 39* off 32 gave the innings shape. The pair added an unbroken 119, taking DC to 145/4 in just 17.1 overs with 17 balls left. DC were also aided by 20 extras, including 16 wides, a costly leakage while defending what was already a below-par 141. Read also: Watch: On-Field Tension! Stubbs and Prince Yadav Exchange Words in Lucknow LSG struggled on home ground. Lucknow’s problems had begun much earlier with the bat. The gamble of promoting Rishabh Pant to open did not work, though in an unfortunate fashion as he was run out for 7 after a scratchy 9-ball stay. Mitchell Marsh’s 35 off 28 and Abdul Samad’s counterattacking 36 off 25 were the only substantial efforts as LSG folded for 141 in 18.4 overs. DC’s bowling was clinical and stat-driven throughout: Lungi Ngidi finished with 3/27, T Natarajan returned 3/29, while Kuldeep Yadav’s 2/31 included the key wicket of Marsh. LSG effectively handed DC 202 extra deliveries’ worth of breathing space through loose bowling, wides and inability to sustain pressure despite defending a low total. The brief heat between Prince Yadav and Stubbs after Axar’s dismissal added spice, but it only seemed to sharpen Stubbs’ focus. Tactically, LSG were also cornered by early wickets in their own innings, forcing them to use an extra batter as Impact cover. That decision meant they could not later bring in Digvesh Rathi as an additional bowling option, a move that left their attack short when Rizvi and Stubbs shut the door.