Delhi Capitals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Delhi Capitals (DC) will lock horns with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the third match of the 16th edition of the IPL 2023 on Saturday, April 1. The match will be held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Check here 👉 Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals, Match 3 – Live Cricket Score

With David Warner at the helm, Capitals would look to be at their best foot forward in their tournament opener. Though Delhi will be missing the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Rilee Rossouw, Anrich Nortje, and Lungi Ngidi in the encounter on Saturday due to their national duties, they still have a formidable squad and have the might to trump the KL Rahul-led side.

Here’s Delhi Capitals’ predicted XI against Lucknow Super Giants

Openers: David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw

David Warner has been a giant of a player in the IPL arena. He has tormented bowlers with his marauding bat and amassed truckloads of runs in the marquee event. The veteran batter has featured in 162 matches in the T20 extravaganza and racked up 5881 runs at a strike rate of 140.69. 

Warner was sensational in the previous edition of the high-profile competition too and accumulated 432 runs in 12 matches for Delhi Capitals at a stunning strike rate of 150.52. He would look to be at his prolific best in the forthcoming clash on Saturday. Besides his batting prowess, the 36-year-old would need to be astute with his tactics and shepherd the troops to perfection.

Delhi have Prithvi Shaw in the mix to partner Warner at the top. Prithvi has taken the attack to the opposition right from ball one and provided his side with crackling starts. The swashbuckling batter would look to bring his A-game into play in the encounter against Lucknow Super Giants.

Middle Order: Mitchell Marsh, Manish Pandey, Sarfaraz Khan (wk), Rovman Powell

Mitchell Marsh is a ferocious striker of the cricket ball and has knocked the wind off bowling attacks with his swashbuckling stroke play. Given he has been troubled by his recurring ankle injury, the team management might play him as a proper batter. The ace batter has been a rich vein of form, having plundered 194 runs at a strike rate of 131.08 in the recently culminated three-match ODI series against India. Thus, he could make IPL 2023 his own.

Barring Marsh, Delhi will have the likes of gun Indian batters Manish Pandey and Sarfaraz Khan in the batting line-up. Both of them have proven their mettle in the lucrative T20 tournament in the past and would be eager to show their batting might in the forthcoming game. Further, Sarfaraz could be entrusted to don the gloves and he would look to perform the role superbly.

Moroever, Delhi will have the services of Rovman Powell in the middle order. The West Indies batter is a marauder with the bat and has shown his power-hitting might plenty of times. Powell would look to set the 2023 season of the cash-rich league ablaze with his performances.

All-rounder: Axar Patel

Axar Patel has been a bankable name in the Indian Premier League. Axar has featured in 122 matches in the marquee tournament and 101 wickets at an economy of 7.25. On the batting front, the 29-year-old has notched up 1135 runs in those outings at a strike rate of 128.53.

Axar has strangled batters with his impeccable lines and lengths and provided wickets at regular intervals. Also, the southpaw has put up an exhibition of his flamboyant stroke play and finished games for his side on a high. His presence brings balance to the Delhi franchise and the Indian all-rounder would be vital to Delhi’s chances in the T20 extravaganza.

In the last season, Axar fared well with the bat and scored 182 games in 13 games at a superb strike rate of 151.67. However, he was at his wicket-taking best with the ball and could manage just six scalps at an economy of 7.47. The Anand-born would look to vindicate himself and take the T20 carnival by storm with his all-round exploits.

Bowlers: Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed

Given the overseas pacers Mustafizur, Nortje, and Ngidi are unavailable, Delhi’s bowling attack for the forthcoming game will solely consist of the Indian seamers. The team management is likely to play Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Chetan Sakariya, and Khaleel Ahmed in the forthcoming clash.

Khaleel was Delhi’s strike force with the ball in the previous edition of the cash-rich league and took 16 wickets in 10 games at an economy of 8.04. Warner & Co. would hope he yet again puts up a show with the ball in the 2023 season. Also, Nagarkoti and Sakariya would look to be at their best in the coming game.

Moreover, Delhi Capitals possess ace Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav at their disposal. The 28-year-old was phenomenal in the IPL 2022 and bagged 21 wickets in 14 games. He would again look to bamboozle batters with his variations and wreak havoc with the ball. Kuldeep could even make a case to win the Purple Cap of the season.

Impact player scenarios:

If Delhi Capitals bat first (Captain chooses the XI with an extra batter at toss):

Probable Impact Player: Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma has been a prominent figure in the lucrative T20 tournament. The 34-year-old has featured in 104 IPL games and bagged 84 wickets at an economy of 7.96. Given Delhi’s fast bowling in the coming encounter will be thin on experience, they might be inclined towards adding Ishant at the expense of a batter. The Indian pacer could be used as a tone-setter with the new ball.

If Delhi Capitals bowl first (Captain chooses the XI with an extra bowler at toss)

Probable impact player: Phil Salt

Phil Salt has been a consistent performer in the shortest format of the game. The 26-year-old has featured in 180 T20 matches and racked up 4118 runs at a strike rate of 149.79. If Delhi go with three overseas players, they will have the opportunity to use Salt as an impact player. The England batter could slot in the middle order and take opposition bowlers to the cleaners to turn the game in the favour of his side.

DC Probable Playing XI:

David Warner (c), Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh, Manish Pandey, Sarfaraz Khan (wk), Rovman Powell, Axar Patel,  Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed