Delhi Capitals’ Ashutosh Sharma celebrates after their win against Lucknow Super Giants during the Indian Premier League cricket match at ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. (AP)

Delhi Capitals‘ Ashutosh Sharma dedicated his Player of the Match award to “Shikhar paaji” (Shikhar Dhawan) after leading his team to a one-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025.
The uncapped Ashutosh emerged as DC’s saviour when the team was struggling at 65/5 while chasing a target of 210 runs.
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Entering as an impact substitute for Mukesh Kumar, Ashutosh remained unbeaten with 66 runs off 31 balls and sealed the victory with a six.
“I learned from the last year because there were a few games where I couldn’t finish the game, so I have been focusing on finishing games, even in domestic cricket. I have a lot of belief in myself that if I play till the last over and the last ball, anything can happen.”
“You just have to stay calm, believe, and think about what shots you can play that you have practised, so that’s what I did today.”
The 26-year-old’s success was complemented by crucial partnerships throughout the batting lineup, notably from debutant Vipraj Nigam.
The 20-year-old leg-break spinner Nigam contributed significantly with a quick 39 runs from 15 deliveries, supporting Ashutosh’s match-winning effort.
“Firstly, I want to say Vipraj played very well. It was a good innings. I told him that if he is being able to connect, he should keep hitting. I just stayed calm and didn’t put too much pressure on myself.”

Before concluding, Ashutosh acknowledged his mentor, presumably former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, whom he had played alongside at Punjab Kings in the previous IPL season.
“I just want to dedicate this man-of-the-match award to my mentor Shikhar paaji.”