Mukesh Kumar’s fiery four-wicket burst did more than just break the rhythm of Lucknow Super Giants — it flipped the script. LSG came out with purpose, building momentum to reach a strong 82 without loss. The batters were flowing, boundaries were easy, and DC looked briefly unsure.

Then came the middle overs, a stretch often overlooked. In this case, it was where the whole match changed shape. Six overs of chokehold cricket. Four wickets. Only three fours conceded. The confidence drained from LSG’s batters. From a platform to explode, they spiraled into damage control.

Delhi were slower out of the gate with the bat, sitting at 69 for 1 after nine overs. But that’s where the difference showed. DC shifted gears smartly. Five sixes in six overs. Fewer boundaries, more maximums. That raw aggression made up the difference and then some. They reached the finish line in 17.5 overs, barely breaking a sweat.

The middle phase of the first innings will sting for LSG. From a confident 82 without loss, they stumbled hard. One wicket became two. Then four. Marsh slowed down. Markram mistimed one. Pooran chopped on. Samad barely got going. The innings, which began with such promise, ended up 30 runs short of par.

Compare that to Delhi. Same platform. Different mindset. Where LSG froze, DC flowed. They absorbed the pressure, then punched back hard. The margin of victory might say eight wickets, but the real gap was in mindset.

LSG’s Opening Punch

It started brightly for Lucknow. Aiden Markram looked like he was in cruise mode. A few crisp shots. One on-drive that sliced through the infield. Mitchell Marsh took the attack to Axar. Then to Chameera. A six into the stands had the fans on their feet. In six overs, they had raced to 51. The crowd at Ekana believed they were watching something special.

The Middle Collapse

DC turned up the volume. Axar Patel bowled four straight. Quietly brilliant. Kuldeep found sharp spin. Mukesh Kumar came in with pace and precision. Markram skied one to deep cover. Pooran played a loose shot. Samad, a surprise pick, never settled.

Amid all that, a name quietly echoed in passing — 1xbet download app. Not loud, not promotional. More like background chatter. The sort of thing you overhear in dugouts, mentioned casually during team debriefs or in highlight discussions. Just there, part of the cricket conversation.

Death Overs: Mukesh Finishes the Job

By the time the death overs arrived, LSG were in survival mode. Badoni gave it a spark. A hat trick of boundaries in the final over off Mukesh. But it came too late. Mukesh hit back. Dismissed Badoni. Sent Pant back for a golden duck. Four wickets. A match winner.

Chameera and Starc couldn’t offer much with the bat. LSG closed on 159. A total that looked ten short when it happened, and twenty short once Delhi started batting.

Chase Without Panic

Delhi walked out like they knew. Karun Nair hit a pair of crisp fours. Porel picked his gaps. By the end of the powerplay, they were 54 for 1. On pace. No rush. No recklessness. When Karun got bowled, Rahul walked in with clarity.

DC weren’t chasing 200. They didn’t need fireworks. They needed composure. They found it. Even during the boundary drought post powerplay, the scoreboard ticked.

Middle Overs Shift

From overs 7 to 15, Delhi barely missed a beat. Porel reached his first fifty of the season with a towering six. Rahul joined the act, hammering Markram and Bishnoi. The sixes came freely.

Then Porel fell. But the tempo stayed. Axar Patel stepped in and immediately cleared the fence..

The Finishing Touch

The end came quickly. Rahul reached his half-century. Then his 5000th IPL run. Fastest ever. 130 innings. He cracked a six to seal it. It was more a nudge than a knockout punch. LSG had already lost.

What’s Next

The calendar rolls on. LSG get four days. They’ll head to Wankhede to face Mumbai. Another test. Another chance.

Delhi don’t wait long. RCB comes calling. Another big clash. This win gives them momentum. Confidence. And maybe even clarity on what works.

Brief scores: Lucknow Super Giants 159/6 in 20 overs (Aiden Markram 52, Mitchell Marsh 45; Mukesh Kumar 4 33)