Ashutosh Sharma’s calculated assault stunned Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the Delhi Capitals all-rounder masterminded a remarkable chase of 210 in their IPL 2025 opener in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
LSG had surged to 209/8 in 20 overs after Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran tore into Delhi’s attack following DC skipper Axar Patel’s decision to field first.
However, Delhi suffered an early collapse, losing three wickets within the first two overs. They were reeling at 113/6 in the 13th over. The chase looked all but over until Ashutosh and debutant Vipraj Nigam sparked an inspired comeback.
BRIEF SCORES
LSG: 209/8 (Mitchell Marsh 72, Nicholas Pooran 75; Mitchell Starc 3/42)
DC: 211/9 (Ashutosh Sharma 66*, Vipraj Nigam 39; Digvesh Rathi 2/31)
Early collapse, Ashutosh to rescue
DC’s chase unraveled quickly as Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk fell for 1, and Bengal wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel departed for a duck, both dismissed in Shardul Thakur’s opening over.
Tamil Nadu spinner Manimaran Siddharth, introduced as LSG’s impact substitute, struck in the next over, removing former CSK batter Sameer Rizvi for 4 to leave Delhi in tatters at 8/3.
Axar joined South African veteran Faf du Plessis in an attempt to steady the innings, but their stand was short-lived.
DC slipped to 50/4 by the end of the powerplay as debutant mystery spinner Digvesh Singh Rathi dismissed the Capitals’ skipper for 22. Du Plessis followed soon after, bowled by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi for 29, as Delhi slumped to 66/5 in the seventh over.
Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma, brought in as DC’s impact sub, attempted to rebuild the chase. The pair put on a crucial 48-run stand before Stubbs fell for 34 in the 13th over, leaving Delhi in trouble at 113/6.
But the momentum shifted when debutant all-rounder Vipraj Nigam joined Ashutosh. The duo added 50 off just 19 balls, with Nigam injecting fresh energy into the chase with a blistering 15-ball 39. His departure in the 17th over, dismissed by Rathi, left DC at 168/7, still needing 42 from 18 balls.
Ashutosh took charge from there, reaching his fifty in 28 balls. He launched a decisive attack on Bishnoi in the 18th over and Prince Yadav in the 19th, bringing the equation down to 6 to win in the nerve-wracking final over.
The all-rounder held his nerve, sealing the win in style with a six off Shahbaz Ahmed. He remained unbeaten on 66 off 31 balls, orchestrating one of the most dramatic chases in IPL history.
Marsh, Pooran Run Riot for LSG
Marsh set the tone early, powering LSG to 64/1 in the powerplay. Opening alongside South African Aiden Markram, the Austrailan all-rounder attacked from the outset.
While, Markram fell for 15 to Nigam in the 5th over, Marsh raced to a 21-ball half-century, smashing a towering six off Nigam in the 7th over. He was joined by Pooran, who wasted no time, hammering three sixes off the young spinner in the same over.
The pair added 87 runs in just 49 balls before Marsh’s onslaught ended at 72 off 36 deliveries, caught in the deep off Mukesh Kumar in the 12th over.
Pooran then unleashed a brutal assault in the 13th over, smashing Stubbs for four consecutive sixes and a boundary, reaching his fifty in 24 balls.
Meanwhile, Pant’s much-anticipated LSG debut ended in disappointment as he fell for a six-ball duck, miscuing a shot off Kuldeep Yadav in the 14th over. Pooran’s blitz ended when Mitchell Starc sent his off stump cartwheeling for a 30-ball 75.
LSG’s innings lost steam as Kuldeep Yadav removed Ayush Badoni for 4, while Starc bowled Shahbaz Ahmed (9) and Ravi Bishnoi. Shardul Thakur was run out for a duck. David Miller anchored the innings with a 19-ball 27, ensuring LSG crossed the 200-mark at 209/8.
The win took their head to head at 3 a piece after Lucknow had held a lead since joining the IPL in 2022.
For Lucknow, their pace attack had been depleted with injuries to Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, and Akash Deep, while Mohsin Khan was ruled out for the season, leaving Shardul , who replaced him to lead the attack. For Delhi, KL Rahul, who led LSG till 2024, missed his debut as he awaits the birth of his child.
Playing XIs
Delhi Capitals XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel (wk), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.
Ashutosh Sharma (Impact Sub)
Lucknow Super Giants XI: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (c), David Miller, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi.
Manimaran Siddharth (Impact Sub)