LSG vs DC, IPL 2025 Highlights: KL Rahul makes a statement after Mukesh Kumar's opening act

LSG vs DC, IPL 2025 Highlights: Delhi Capitals thrashed Lucknow Super Giants by 8 wickets for their second successive victory against the Rishabh Pant-led team in IPL 2025 on Tuesday. DC chased down the 160-run target with more than 2 overs to spare to maintain their second spot in the points table.

Here are the five points that made the difference between victory and defeat in the IPL encounter between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals:

LSG’s strong start

Aiden Markram scored 33-ball 52 (AP Photo)

Asked to bat first, LSG were off to a flying start thanks to their openers Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, who brought up the team’s 50 in the sixth over. Markram brought up his 50 off 30 balls, which was his fourth in the last six innings. However, shortly after Markram fell to Dushmantha Chameera after a 33-ball 52.

Marsh smashed a six and three fours in his 36-ball 45 before he was clean bowled by a yorker from Mukesh Kumar.

Starc wins the battle against Pooran

Nicholas Pooran is the second highest run-scorer in this edition of the IPL and LSG was expecting a big knock from the left-hander again. But Pooran was up against master technician Mitchell Starc, who had dismissed him four times in six T20 innings. Starc deployed a fine leg, a deep backward square leg, a deep mid-wicket and a long-on for Pooran, who shaped up to play a short-pitched delivery. But Starc made an even smarter move as he roll his fingers on the ball before releasing, making it slower through the air and Pooran (9) ended up edging it onto his stumps.

Mukesh Kumar’s four-wicket haul:

Mukesh Kumar scalped four wickets against LSG (BCCI Photo)

Mukesh Kumar was the most successful DC bowler picking a four-wicket haul that restricted LSG to 159/6. Mukesh dismissed both Abdul Samad and Marsh in the same over and then returned in the attack to get rid of Ayush Badoni (36) and Rishabh Pant (0) in the last over.

Abishek Porel sets up DC run chase:

Opener Abishek Porel raced to his first fifty of the season off 44 balls to give DC a fiery start in the modest run chase. Porel fell to Markram after scoring a 36-ball 51, also stitching a brisk 69-run partnership with KL Rahul in the process.

KL Rahul makes a statement in Lucknow:

KL Rahul played a match-winning 57 unbeaten off 42 balls (BCCI Photo)

KL Rahul was LSG captain from 2022 to 2024. But last year following the embarrassing 10-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rahul was publicly criticized by the LSG owner and then released by the franchise ahead of the mega auction.

Now playing for DC against his former team on their home ground, Rahul stayed unbeaten on 42-ball 57, ensuring that there were no hiccups in the DC run chase and finished off the match with a six. Rahul, who wasn't part of the playing XI when DC won their opening game against LSG in Vizag, scored his third fifty of the season, 40th in the IPL. He also went past 5000 runs in the IPL – taking 130 innings - the fastest to get to the mark.