Ashutosh Sharma’s Heroic 66 Guides Delhi Capitals to Thrilling Win Against Lucknow Super Giants
In a sensational finish at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Ashutosh Sharma’s late carnage of 66 off 31 balls led Delhi Capitals (DC) to a dramatic one-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the fourth match of the tournament. Despite a faltering start, DC managed to chase down LSG’s challenging total of 209 for 8, with three balls to spare.
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant acknowledged the mounting pressure on his team as they lost control of the game, crediting the crucial partnership between Ashutosh and Vipraj Nigam for turning the tide in DC’s favor. Pant highlighted how his team had started well but felt the pressure after the momentum shifted in the latter half of the innings.
“Definitely, the runs were enough on the board. The batters batted really well. We may have lost momentum in the middle, but I think that was a pretty good score on this wicket. We are looking to take positives from every match and learn from it. We need to get the basics right more often,” Pant said after the match.
Chasing 210, DC’s innings got off to a nightmarish start, with the team reduced to 8 for 3 in the early overs. The situation worsened when key players Faf du Plessis and Axar Patel were dismissed, leaving DC at a precarious 85 for 5. The required run rate soared, and the game seemed to be slipping away from them.
It was then that Ashutosh Sharma took charge. At 20 off 20 balls, with the required rate above 12, Ashutosh exploded with a stunning 46 off the next 11 balls, providing the much-needed acceleration. Vipraj Nigam also played a pivotal role, scoring 39 off just 15 balls before falling to Digvesh Rathi. Ashutosh continued to pile on the runs, taking the game to the final over, where he sealed the victory for DC with a six off Shahbaz Ahmed, securing the win with three balls to spare.
Reflecting on the match, Pant admitted, “I think they had two good partnerships between Stubbsy, Ashutosh, and one more guy [Nigam]. As the ball got older, there was help for the bowlers, but we could have done the basics better. We felt the pressure. It’s early in the tournament and we are still settling in. Luck plays a big part—if it hadn’t hit his pad, it would have been a big chance for stumping.”
Earlier, LSG posted a formidable total of 209 for 8, largely due to explosive knocks from Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30) and Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36). At one stage, LSG appeared to be heading towards a total of 250, but DC’s bowlers staged a comeback, conceding only 49 runs in the last seven overs while picking up seven wickets.
In the end, it was Ashutosh Sharma’s blistering innings that stole the spotlight, guiding DC to a thrilling victory in a game that was packed with twists and turns.
