IPL 2025: Ashutosh Sharma's Brilliance Secures Thrilling One-Wicket Victory for Delhi Capitals

Visakhapatnam, March 24 (NationPress) Ashutosh Sharma’s remarkable unbeaten 66 off just 31 deliveries propelled Delhi Capitals to a sensational one-wicket triumph over the Lucknow Super Giants in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener, held at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

In pursuit of a daunting target of 210, DC appeared to be in dire straits at 8 for 3 and later at 139 for 7, but Ashutosh’s fearless batting turned the match around, leading to an unforgettable victory for DC.

Batting first, LSG began explosively with contributions from Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36) and Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30). Marsh aggressively targeted his fellow Australian, Mitchell Starc, hitting him for 20 runs in just four balls. The pair added 87 runs in a mere 42 balls, placing LSG in a strong position at the mid-innings mark.

However, DC’s bowlers made a comeback in the death overs, limiting LSG to 209 for 8. Starc got his revenge by bowling Pooran, while Mukesh Kumar, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav made sure LSG couldn't fully exploit their explosive start. In the last seven overs, only 49 runs were scored as LSG lost six wickets.

Initially unsold at the auction and set to play county cricket for Essex, Shardul Thakur joined LSG as an injury replacement for Mohsin Khan. In his first over, he made an immediate impact by dismissing Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abhishek Porel, leaving DC in a precarious position at 8 for 3. Sameer Rizvi showed promise with a beautiful cover drive but fell shortly after to M Siddharth, leaving DC struggling at 45 for 3 after five overs.

With DC in trouble, captain Axar Patel and veteran Faf du Plessis formed a partnership that brought some stability to the DC dugout. They guided DC past 50 runs before LSG’s spinners Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi struck in quick succession. Axar fell to a sweep off Rathi, while Bishnoi bowled du Plessis for 38. At 87 for 5, DC faced an uphill battle.

As DC tried to recover, Tristan Stubbs (36 off 22) hit two massive sixes off Siddharth to reduce the required rate. However, Siddharth bowled a beautifully drifting delivery that turned away late and clipped the top of off stump, leaving Stubbs shocked. With DC at 139 for 7, LSG appeared to be in control.

Enter Ashutosh Sharma, the Impact Player substitution for Mukesh Kumar. The young finisher, who gained recognition with Punjab Kings last season, showcased his talent once again. He first took on Ravi Bishnoi, smashing two fours and a six, followed by targeting Prince Yadav and Shahbaz Ahmed with consecutive boundaries to shift the momentum.

He had Vipraj Nigam for support, who, despite being included for his bowling skills, displayed impressive lower-order hitting. In a SMAT 2024-25 match against Andhra, he had struck an incredible 27 off just eight balls to lead Uttar Pradesh to victory.

Nigam made a significant contribution once again, first watching as Ashutosh dominated the bowlers, hitting two fours and a six before targeting Shahbaz Ahmed with another four and a six. Ashutosh then targeted Prince Yadav, hitting a four and a six, while Nigam mirrored his efforts with consecutive boundaries, scoring 20 runs off the 16th over.

Nigam eventually fell to Rathi, but not before leaving a vital mark with a blistering 15-ball 39, of which 30 runs came off just 12 balls against the spinners.

Ashutosh then went on a rampage. Facing Bishnoi in the 18th over, he unleashed 6, 4, 6, reducing the equation to 22 off 12 balls. Prince Yadav started the penultimate over well, but a disastrous run-out involving Kuldeep Yadav put all the pressure back onto Ashutosh. However, he remained unflappable, bringing up his fifty with a two before launching a massive six to conclude the over, leaving DC needing just 6 runs.

With 6 runs required off 6 balls, Mohit Sharma was on strike. He missed the first delivery, prompting an LSG review for LBW, but the ball was shown to be missing the stumps. Mohit then nudged a single, bringing Ashutosh to the crease. And with the game on the line, Ashutosh finished in style – smashing a six to clinch an extraordinary one-wicket victory for DC.

In a match that saw dramatic shifts in momentum, Ashutosh Sharma emerged as the undeniable hero. His fearless 66* off 31 balls, which included 5 fours and 5 sixes, ensured that Delhi Capitals commenced their IPL 2025 journey with a thrilling win.

Brief scores: Lucknow Super Giants 209/8 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 75, Mitchell Marsh 72; Mitchell Starc 3-42, Kuldeep Yadav 2-20) lost to Delhi Capitals 211/9 in 19.3 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 66 not out, Vipraj Nigam 39; Digvesh Rathi 2-31, Shardul Thakur 2-19) by one wicket