NEW DELHI: Ashutosh Sharma stood firm, kept his composure, and unleashed his batting firepower when it mattered the most, guiding Delhi Capitals to a thrilling last-over victory against Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2025 opener at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
The young batter roared in celebration, swinging his bat and gesturing animatedly toward the Delhi Capitals dugout after sealing a breathtaking chase.
Ashutosh was the hero of the night, smashing an unbeaten 66 off just 31 balls, rescuing his side from the brink of defeat and steering them to a stunning one-wicket win.
Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants put up a formidable total of 209/8 in 20 overs, powered by Mitchell Marsh’s explosive 72 off 36 balls and Nicholas Pooran’s blistering 75 off 30. Despite their efforts, LSG couldn’t keep Ashutosh from scripting a memorable turnaround.
Delhi Capitals’ chase got off to a nightmare start as they crumbled to 7/3 within two overs, with Shardul Thakur and Manimaran Siddharth wreaking havoc. Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abishek Porel, and Sameer Rizvi fell cheaply, putting DC on the back foot.
Captain Axar Patel (22 off 11) and Faf du Plessis (29 off 18) tried to rebuild, but DC still found themselves struggling at 113/6 in the 13th over, requiring 97 runs off just 45 balls.
That’s when Ashutosh turned the game on its head.
Displaying a perfect balance of composure and controlled aggression, he took on the LSG bowlers fearlessly, dispatching five boundaries and five towering sixes. His calculated counterattack kept DC alive in the chase.
Vipraj Nigam provided vital support with a quickfire 39 off 15 balls, building a game-changing partnership with Ashutosh that reignited Delhi’s hopes.
With 18 runs needed off the last two overs, Ashutosh kept his nerve, expertly maneuvering the strike and punishing loose deliveries. Despite losing Kuldeep Yadav in the penultimate over, he remained unfazed.
Then, with just a few runs required, Ashutosh finished things off in style—launching a stunning straight six off the third ball of the final over, sealing an unforgettable win for Delhi Capitals and etching his name as the hero of the night.
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