KL Rahul staged a dramatic comeback to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, where he had faced public glare during the last season, guiding Delhi Capitals to a comprehensive eight-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 40 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Rahul, whose exit from LSG was troubled after he was dropped as captain, scored a vital 57* and, along with skipper Axar Patel (34*), guided DC past LSG's score of 159/6 with 13 balls remaining. Abhishek Porel had laid the platform for a successful chase and set up the win by scoring 51.
For Lucknow, Aiden Markram was the best bowler, taking two wickets, but all to no avail as DC easily chased the target.
LSG's Innings: Delhi elected to bowl first and made early inroads to stop LSG's run. There was a solid start by Markram and Mitchell Marsh, with the former smashing a 52-run knock off 30 deliveries, but was dispatched while attempting to hit the boundary off a Chameera ball. Marsh, who had added a useful 45, was also removed by Mukesh Kumar, who had taken 4 wickets for 33 runs.
Nicholas Pooran (9) and Abdul Samad (2) also fell in quick succession, leaving LSG at a vulnerable spot. A master yorker by Kumar sent Marsh packing back to the dugout, and though Ayush Badoni (36) attempted to counter-attack by hitting three back-to-back fours in the last over, he was also out. Rishabh Pant's highly anticpated batting innings came to an end in disillusionment as he was bowled on the last ball of the innings, leaving LSG with 159/6.
DC's Chase:
The chase was started well by a partnership between Karun Nair (15) and Porel, who provided DC with a good start. But Markram came in and took a wicket, out, and LSG regained the momentum for a while. Porel's half-century from 33 balls, along with Rahul's unflustered knock, kept DC on track.
After Porel’s dismissal, Rahul and Axar Patel kept their cool, with the latter hitting four sixes and one boundary in a fiery knock. Rahul, who is closing in on becoming the fastest player to score 5000 runs in the IPL, sealed the victory with a six. DC finished the game at 161/2 in 17.5 overs, taking second place in the IPL 2025 points table.
Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants: 159/6 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 52, Mitchell Marsh 45; Mukesh Kumar 4-33)
Delhi Capitals: 161/2 in 17.5 overs (KL Rahul 57*, Abhishek Porel 51, Axar Patel 34*; Aiden Markram 2-30)
This victory not only saw Delhi Capitals come back with a commanding performance but also proved their depth in batting and bowling, winning a crucial game in their campaign.
