Ashutosh Sharma's scorching unbeaten 66 off only 31 balls powered Delhi Capitals to a thrilling one-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2025 opener at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Pursuing a threatening target of 210, DC were in serious trouble at 8 for 3 and then at 139 for 7. But Ashutosh's aggressive play upset the balance, bringing a stunning victory to his team.
Previous to this, LSG kicked off in flamboyant style with Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30) and Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36) in charge. Marsh attacked his Australian counterpart Mitchell Starc, sending 20 runs off a mere four deliveries. The duo added a fluttering 87-run partnership in 42 balls, and LSG was in command at the halfway stage.
DC's bowlers, though, fought back in the last overs, limiting LSG to 209 for 8. Starc experienced his redemption moment by sending Pooran back, while Mukesh Kumar, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav did not allow the batting team to fully cash in on their promising start. The last seven overs produced just 49 runs as six wickets of LSG fell.
Entering unexpectedly into the LSG team as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan, Shardul Thakur made an instant impact. He hit in his first over, removing Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abhishek Porel, leaving DC reeling at 8 for 3. Sameer Rizvi was impressive with a beautiful cover drive but was soon removed by M Siddharth, leaving DC's position at 45 for 3 within five overs.
Captain Axar Patel and the seasoned Faf du Plessis tried to anchor the innings, taking DC through 50 before LSG's spinners cut loose. Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets in succession, with Axar getting out trying to sweep and du Plessis bowled for 38. DC was in trouble at 87 for 5.
When DC attempted to launch a recovery, Tristan Stubbs (36 off 22) brought some energy to the run chase, blasting two massive sixes against Siddharth to relieve the rate. Nevertheless, the left-arm spinner reacted with a perfectly floating delivery which knocked the top of the off stump, and Stubbs departed. LSG were 139 for 7.
That's where Ashutosh Sharma rose to the occasion. Picked as an Impact Player in the slot of Mukesh Kumar, Ashutosh, who impressed while playing for Punjab Kings in the last season, once again exhibited his finishing skill. He took on Bishnoi first, finding the boundaries at will, and then attacked Prince Yadav and Shahbaz Ahmed to swing the pendulum in favor of DC.
Vipraj Nigam, who was mostly picked for his bowling, contributed a vital supporting role. With his reputation as a late-order batsman, he had already shown his batting prowess in the SMAT 2024-25 season. He made a telling contribution, complementing Ashutosh's aggression. The two ravaged the bowling attack, with Nigam blasting 39 off 15, including 30 off 12 against spinners.
Nigam later died to Rathi but not before assisting DC move nearer to an unlikely victory. When 22 were required off 12 balls, Ashutosh faced up to Bishnoi, hammering 6, 4, 6 to turn the momentum in DC's direction. Though a Kuldeep Yadav run-out briefly slowed down their onslaught, Ashutosh was unruffled, scoring his half-century before blasting a monstrous six to leave DC needing just six runs off the last over.
Mohit Sharma faced strike first in the final over and endured an LBW review before rotating strike. With the match at stake, Ashutosh put the seal on it in style, hitting a six to write a memorable one-wicket victory for Delhi Capitals.
In a match full of momentum shifts, Ashutosh was the undisputed hero, his unbeaten 66 off 31 balls, studded with five fours and five sixes, guaranteeing DC started their IPL 2025 on a high.
Brief scores:
Lucknow Super Giants: 209/8 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 75, Mitchell Marsh 72; Mitchell Starc 3-42, Kuldeep Yadav 2-20)
Delhi Capitals: 211/9 in 19.3 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 66*, Vipraj Nigam 39; Digvesh Rathi 2-31, Shardul Thakur 2-19)
Result: Delhi Capitals won by one wicket
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