Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium played host to a high-profile family moment during the IPL 2026 meeting between Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, with Arjun Tendulkar’s wife Saania Chandhok and Arjun’s sister Sara Tendulkar spotted in the stands cheering for the home team. Arjun—cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar’s son—has been named in the Lucknow Super Giants squad for the 2026 season, adding further attention to the occasion as the match unfolded.
Just a day before the LSG versus GT game, Sara was also seen arriving in the city alongside her sister-in-law Saania. At the airport, both women were photographed and surrounded by fans and media personnel, with the attention reflecting the Tendulkar family’s enduring presence in Indian cricket culture. When asked which franchise she intended to back for the contest, Sara chose not to commit publicly, offering a smile instead of a direct reply despite repeated questions.
On the cricket field, Gujarat Titans made the first key decision by winning the toss and choosing to bowl. Arjun Tendulkar, who was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction, was included in the squad but did not make it into the playing XI for this encounter.
Speaking after the toss, GT captain Shubman Gill explained the thinking behind the bowling call. “We’ll field first. Two points in the last match give us plenty of confidence. Looking to play better cricket and ensure the match doesn’t go to the last over. We have had a tremendous time, consistency is important in a long tournament such as the IPL. After 14 matches, the most consistent team will win the tournament. Same team for us today,” Gill said.
Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant backed a similar approach, opting to stick with the same XI after the toss. “I think the way wickets are nowadays, you know, the margin batting first or bowling first is not much, but you know, we’ve got a bowl first. I think for us it’s amazing. You know, every win is important, and especially when you win like that, it shows the character of a team, you know. But we want to move on from it, you know, take one match at a time and just give our best,” Pant said. He also addressed the team’s mindset heading into the next game, noting that while momentum from the previous result matters, adaptation to changing conditions remains crucial. “(Talks about head-to-head) See, definitely it’s a great boost for winning a match and coming into the next one. But at the same time, you know, you still have to give your best each and every match because wicket might play different, condition might be different. But at the same time, last match when we played, we talked about intent on the field. We always talk about that as a team and that was great to see when we were on the field, we were putting bodies on the line. We are playing with the same team,” he added.
