In a heart-stopping match that set the tone of the TATA IPL 2025 season, Delhi Capitals (DC) secured a victory with a narrow margin of one-wicket against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The DC chased down a total of 210 runs at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Monday. The highly competitive match between the two sides swayed to and fro till the last over.
Ashutosh Sharma – The Star of the Match
The man of the evening was Ashutosh Sharma, whose unbeaten 66 off 31 balls led DC to a miraculous victory when all hope seemed lost. Sharma’s knock was a lesson in pressure management, as he changed from a slow starter to a match-winner in a flash of time. With DC requiring 62 runs from the last 30 balls, Sharma unleashed a boundary attack, hitting 46 runs off his remaining 11 balls to win the match.
The performance of the young batsman eclipsed LSG’s Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30) and Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36), whose whirlwind contributions had already helped LSG post a dominant score of 209/8. DC’s pursuit was then complemented by IPL rookie Vipraj Nigam, who chipped in with a valuable 39 off 15 deliveries, paving the way for Sharma’s match-winning display.
Two outstanding Innings
LSG, that was in to bat by DC’s newly appointed full-time captain Axar Patel, got off to a flying start. The opening pair of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, both making their debuts for the franchise, set the tone with an amazing partnership. Marsh, in particular, was in his best form, racing to his fastest IPL half-century off just 21 balls.
The onslaught was unabated as Nicholas Pooran came in at the crease alongside Marsh. The two of them added 87 between them and taking LSG past 100 in an impressive 8.1 overs. LSG was at 161/2 after 13 overs, looking good for a score well over 250.
But DC’s bowlers, supported by Mitchell Starc (3/42) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/20), made an impressive fightback towards the later half of the innings. They only allowed 48 runs off the last seven overs while claiming six wickets to limit LSG to a score of 209/8.
DC’s pursuit began on a disastrous note as they lost three wickets for a mere seven runs. The game appeared to be going out of DC’s hands until Vipraj Nigam’s and Ashutosh Sharma’s performances changed the course of the game in their favour. Sharma completed the game in style, scoring a six off Shahbaz Ahmed to win a memorable game with three balls remaining.
The game represented the thrill of IPL series, reflecting the unpredictable and exciting nature of T20 cricket. For DC, it was an inspiring victory with an achievement of biggest successful chase in the IPL history. It will boost their morale in the coming matches of the tournament.
As the season of IPL 2025 goes on, this game will certainly be talked about as one of the most thrilling encounters, and it will raise high standards for the subsequent matches.
