2 min readUpdated: Apr 2, 2026 09:20 PM IST
Lucknow Super Giants may have lost to the Delhi Capitals on Wednesday but that was only after the latter dug themselves out of trouble in a 142-run chase in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). An unbeaten 70 off 47 balls by Sameer Rizvi and his 119-run stand for the fifth wicket with Tristan Stubbs helped DC recover from 26/4 and win the match by six wickets. However, LSG’s early dominance in DC’s chase began with a brilliant first over from Mohammed Shami in which he dismissed KL Rahul with the very first ball.
“This season of the IPL is very important for Mohammed Shami and the way he started off the tournament with this performance against DC shows he means business,” said former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara on Star Sports.
“Yes, his figures read 1 for 28, but it was Shami who played a crucial role in helping his side get off to a strong start in the powerplay. He first got rid of KL Rahul on the very first ball of the run chase and full credit to Shami.”
“He knew that Rahul loves to play the inside out shot, so he bowled a wide delivery. Rahul played the inside out shot but it went straight into the hands of the deep point fielder. Then, he restricted the run flow by bowling tight lines and did not allow the batters to score runs.
Shami, 35, hasn’t played for India since March last year. He has expressed frustration repeatedly in the time since of not being picked in the side despite his performances in domestic cricket, Shami took 67 wickets across formats for Bengal. Pujara felt that this performance was the beginning of a road to redemption for the veteran pacer.
“Shami has been playing domestic cricket across all formats in the last one year and the performances have been good. He is translating his domestic form into the IPL. This performance against Delhi is just the beginning of Mohammed Shami’s road to redemption,” Pujara said.
