Lucknow super giants captain Ritha Pant There is little room for error as his side take on Delhi Capitals at home on Wednesday, heading into the crucial IPL season. After a disappointing first year as captain – with poor leadership and batting ability, coupled with injuries to key pacers, Pant now has a stronger, fully healthy squad at his disposal.Bowling team strengthened with arrival Mohammad Shami and Anrich Nortje, while the returns of Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan add depth. Young prospects like Prince Yadav and spinner Digwish Singh Rati have further strengthened the attack.The batting looks more consistent, with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram forming a formidable opening combination. Pant is expected to move up the order, with Nicholas Pooran likely to start at No. 4.Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, will be looking to build on last season’s promising but inconsistent foundation. Kuala Lumpur Rahul It is about to open, but his partners Prithvi Shaw, Abhishek Porel and Pathum Nissanka are yet to decide. The addition of David Miller strengthens the middle order, which includes Tristan Stubbs.Despite the absence of Mitchell Starc in the opener, Delhi boast a strong bowling attack led by Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, with Lungi Ngidi and T Natarajan adding variety. Five players to watch today:Raisa pants (LSG)After eight seasons with DC, Rishabh Pant joined LSG as captain last year but had a mixed season. He scored 269 runs in 13 innings, including a century, but at a strike rate of 133.16. Pant is aiming to make this a breakthrough season, both as LSG’s leader and as a frontline batsman. Overall, he scored 3,553 runs in 125 games, including 200s and 19 fifties, at a strike rate of 147.61.Mohammad Shami(LSG)Veteran Indian pacer Mohammad Shami will don the LSG jersey against DC, representing his sixth IPL team. Shami has been away from the national team for more than a year and despite strong domestic performances proving his fitness, he has been repeatedly overlooked. He will be eager to bounce back with his new team and strengthen LSG’s offense after a disappointing last season. A seasoned player, he took 133 wickets in 119 IPL games.Kuala Lumpur Rahul(DC)DC opener KL Rahul will be looking to build on his stellar performance last season. After moving to DC from LSG in 2025, Rahul scored 539 runs in 13 innings at an average of 53.90 and a strike rate of 149.72, including a century and three fifties. He’s aiming for another 500-point season, which would be his third straight season, having also scored 520 points in 2024. One of the most prolific batsmen in the league, Rahul amassed 5,222 runs in 145 games at an average of over 46 and a strike rate of 136.02, including 5 centuries and 40 fifties.Mayank Yadav(LSG)Young pace star Meyank Yadav is once again out injured and will be eager to play a full season for LSG, who have shown great faith in him. He has played just six games in two seasons since his IPL debut in 2024, but his ability to consistently hit speeds in excess of 150 km/h is impressive. Health remains his biggest challenge, but if he stays healthy, he could be a major threat to opposing hitters.Tristan Stubbs (DC)Promising batsman Tristan Stubbs has impressed for DC in IPL 2024, scoring 378 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 190.90. Last year, he had a decent 300-game season with a strike rate of 150.75, albeit with a slightly less impact. Stubbs is now aiming to contribute even more, with the goal of turning his consistent 300-game streak into a 500-plus game season.
