Ashutosh Sharma bent a match-winning performance with an unbeaten 66 off 31 balls to guide Delhi Capitals to a extraordinary one-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in their first game of IPL 2025. The game, played in Visakhapatnam on March 24, saw Delhi chase down 210 with just three balls to extra.
At the start of the game, DC was in deep trouble, compact to 7 for 3 within the first two overs. With 97 runs required from just 45 balls, the situation appeared almost impossible for Delhi. However, debutant Vipraj Nigam, who walked in at number 8, turned the game around with a scorching 39 off 15 balls. His quick-fire knock gave DC the hope they needed, before being dismissed with 42 runs still required off 23 balls.
Ashutosh, who had been struggling before in his innings, found his regularity when 62 runs were needed off 30 balls. He launched a dramatic defense, hitting 46 runs off his next 11 balls to bring the equation down to 22 runs from 12 balls. Despite losing his partners, including the run-out of Kuldeep Yadav in an attempt to get Ashutosh back on attack, the young star held his nerve and shattered two sixes off the final two balls of an over to bring DC within striking distance.
In the final over, with just five runs mandatory, Ashutosh closed the game by hitting a six off the third ball from Shahbaz Ahmed. His remarkable finish left Rishabh Pant, LSG’s captain, shocked as Ashutosh and his teammates exploded in celebration.
Previous, Lucknow Super Giants had set a scary target of 210, posting 209 for 8 in their selected 20 overs. Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh were the standout performers with the bat. Pooran struck a rapid 75 off 30 balls, while Marsh added 72 off 36. The pair shared an explosive 87-run partnership for the second wicket, taking the game away from DC in the initial stages. Though, once the two were dismissed, DC’s bowlers, run by Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav, made a brilliant response, confining LSG to just 48 runs in the last seven overs and taking six wickets.
DC’s chase appeared all but over when they were condensed to 65 for 5 in the seventh over, but Ashutosh and Nigamโs partnership restored their hopes. Ashutoshโs superb innings, joined with Nigam’s fearless appearance, brought Delhi Capitals to an unforgettable victory, overcoming a huge failure and proving that no chase is always over in T20 cricket.
