IPL 2025: Porel, Rahul guide Delhi Capitals to eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants

Opener Abishek Porel and KL Rahul struck half centuries and shared a 69-run partnership as Delhi Capitals thrashed Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets in an Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday (April 22).

Chasing 160 for victory, Porel scored 51 off 36 balls, while in-form Rahul struck an unbeaten 57 (42 balls) to make it a one-sided contest, as DC completed the task in 17.5 overs. Skipper Axar Patel made 34 not out off 20 balls.

Rahul also completed 5,000 runs in IPL on way to his half-century.

Earlier in the innings, opener Aiden Markram scored a half century and Mitchell Marsh too made a quick 45 but hosts Lucknow Super Giants could only manage 159 for 6 against Delhi Capitals. Markram scored a 33-ball 52, while Marsh smashed a 36-ball 45 as the opening pair put on 87 in 10 overs.

But LSG lost momentum thereafter as right-arm pacer Mukesh Kumar (4/33) struck twice in the 14th over, taking the wickets of Abdul Samad and Marsh. Ayush Badoni (36 off 21 balls), though struck three boundaries in the last over, bowled by Mukesh, to give some respectability to the total.

The trio of Mukesh Kumar (4/33 in 4 overs), Mitchell Starc (1/25 in 4 overs) and Dushmantha Chameera (1/25 in 3 overs) used different kinds of slower deliveries to perfection as LSG huffed and puffed their way past the 150-run mark after being 87/1 at the end of 10 overs.

In the remaining 10 overs, LSG could manage only 72 runs recording their lowest team total of the tournament so far. Pant's injured palm also hurt LSG's chances of propping up their total with the skipper coming in at No.7 for a two-ball duck.

The diminutive Ayush Badoni (36 off 21 balls), who relies more on timing the ball than brute power, did play his part but one doesn't know if that would be enough considering the depth in the Delhi Capitals batting. It was another superb show by the DC bowling unit, which has been brilliant throughout the first half of the tournament.