Match overview

Lucknow Super Giants beat Delhi Capitals by 50 runs at BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on 1 April 2023. Batting first after Delhi won the toss and chose to field, LSG posted 193/6 from their 20 overs. Delhi's chase never got close. Mark Wood's 5/14 from 4 overs triggered a catastrophic final phase in which DC lost 4 wickets for 33 runs, finishing on 143/9. Wood took the Player of the Match award and the result was settled well before the last over.

LSG's innings was built in the middle overs. A cautious powerplay of 30/1 gave way to a productive middle phase of 97 runs for 3 wickets across overs 7 to 15. The death overs then produced 66 runs for 2 wickets, pushing the total above 190. For context, the Ekana ground's average first-innings score across 44 T20 matches is 177, so LSG finished a clear 16 runs above par.

Delhi started their chase with intent, reaching 47/2 from the powerplay, slightly ahead of the venue's average powerplay figure of 47 runs. That early momentum made the subsequent collapse all the more stark. The middle phase yielded 63 runs for 3 wickets, and then Wood and the death-overs bowling unit took over entirely.

Venue and conditions

BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium has hosted 44 T20 matches, with average scores of 177 in the first innings and 157 in the second. The gap between those averages is notable: batting second at Ekana is historically harder than batting first, which partly explains why teams field after winning the toss 68% of the time. The chase success rate at the ground sits at 53%, making it close to an even split but still marginally favouring the team batting first when targets are above 180.

The powerplay at Ekana averages 47 runs, meaning a score around that mark is broadly neutral for the side chasing. Death-overs scoring averages 40 runs per innings, so any side posting above 60 in overs 16-20 is placing meaningful pressure on the opposition. LSG's 66 in the death was well above that benchmark and set the tone for their bowlers.

Pitch conditions at this ground tend to reward pace in the evening, with some hardness underfoot that assists bowlers who can hit the deck at speed. Wood's pace, typically above 90mph, was always likely to be dangerous in those conditions. The toss remains an important factor at Ekana: the preference to field is strong, but teams inserting the opposition still need their bowlers to fire in the death.

How to watch

IPL matches are available to UK viewers on Sky Sports Cricket, with live streaming through Sky Go and NOW TV for those without a traditional subscription. Kick-off times for evening IPL fixtures in India typically fall between 14:00 and 15:30 BST for afternoon games, and around 19:30 BST for the later slot, though schedules can vary. It is worth checking the Sky Sports listings for the specific UK broadcast time before each match.

Highlights and short-form content from the IPL are also available on the JioCinema platform, though full live rights in the UK remain with Sky Sports for the foreseeable future. BBC Radio's Test Match Special does not cover IPL fixtures, so Sky is the primary route for live commentary in the UK.

Recent form

Lucknow Super Giants' recent form ahead of this match was mixed. Their last five results from the 2022 IPL season read W-L-L-W-L, including defeats to Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans. The wins came against Kolkata Knight Riders on two occasions. LSG clearly had the firepower to beat sides at their level but had not yet found the consistency to string results together.

Delhi Capitals came into this fixture with a similarly patchy 2022 record: W-L-W-W-L from their last five, with wins over Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Losses to Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings suggested Delhi struggled against the IPL's stronger outfits. Given both sides' inconsistent records from the previous season, this match was the kind of fixture that could shift momentum either way in an early-season IPL campaign. Delhi's five-win head-to-head advantage over LSG meant they arrived as the side with the stronger historical claim on this rivalry, even if the 1 April result went the other way.