Visakhapatnam, March 24 (IANS) Ashutosh Sharma’s unbeaten 66 off 31 balls powered Delhi Capitals to a stunning one-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener, here at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

Chasing a daunting target of 210, DC seemed down and out at 8 for 3 and later at 139 for 7, but Ashutosh’s fearless hitting turned the game on its head, handing DC an unforgettable win.

Batting first, LSG got off to a flying start courtesy of Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36) and Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30). Marsh took the attack to his Australian teammate Mitchell Starc, smashing him for 20 runs in just four deliveries. The duo added 87 runs in just 42 balls, propelling LSG to a strong position at the halfway stage.

However, DC’s bowlers clawed back in the death overs, restricting LSG to 209 for 8. Starc had his revenge by castling Pooran, while Mukesh Kumar, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav ensured that LSG could not capitalize fully on their explosive start. The last seven overs yielded only 49 runs, with LSG losing six wickets.

Despite going unsold at the auction and initially set to play county cricket for Essex, Shardul Thakur found his way into LSG’s squad as an injury replacement for Mohsin Khan. In his first over, he delivered immediate impact, dismissing Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abhishek Porel to leave DC reeling at 8 for 3. Sameer Rizvi showed promise with a glorious cover drive but fell soon after to M Siddharth, leaving DC in deep trouble at 45 for 3 after five overs.

With DC struggling, captain Axar Patel and veteran Faf du Plessis stitched a partnership that brought some calm to the DC dugout. The duo guided DC past the 50-run mark before LSG’s spinners Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi struck in quick succession. Axar fell sweeping Rathi, while Bishnoi cleaned up du Plessis for 38. At 87 for 5, DC were staring at a daunting climb.

Just as DC attempted a comeback, Tristan Stubbs (36 off 22) launched two massive sixes off Siddharth to bring the required rate down. However, Siddharth bowled a beautifully drifting delivery that turned away late and clipped the top of off stump, leaving Stubbs in disbelief. With DC at 139 for 7, LSG seemed in control.

Enter Ashutosh Sharma, the Impact Player substitution for Mukesh Kumar. The young finisher, who made his name for Punjab Kings last season, showcased his prowess yet again. He first took on Ravi Bishnoi, smashing two fours and a six, and then hammered Prince Yadav and Shahbaz Ahmed for consecutive boundaries to shift the momentum.

He had Vipraj Nigam for support, who was primarily in the team for his bowling skills, but his lower-order hitting couldn't be overlooked. In a SMAT 2024-25 match against Andhra, he had smashed 27 off just eight balls to take Uttar Pradesh over the line.

Nigam made an impact once again, first watching as Ashutosh took on the bowlers, smashing two fours and a six before going after Shahbaz Ahmed with another four and a six. Ashutosh then targeted Prince Yadav, hitting a four and a six, while Nigam followed suit with back-to-back boundaries to take 20 runs off the 16th over.

Nigam eventually fell to Rathi, but not before playing a crucial hand in DC’s fightback with a blistering 15-ball 39. Of those 39 runs, 30 had come off just 12 balls against the spinners alone.

Ashutosh then went berserk. Facing Bishnoi in the 18th over, he unleashed 6, 4, 6 to bring the equation down to 22 off 12. Prince Yadav started the penultimate over well, but Kuldeep Yadav’s suicide run-out put all the pressure back on Ashutosh. However, he remained unfazed, bringing up his fifty with a two before launching a monstrous six to end the over, leaving DC just 6 runs away.

With 6 needed off 6 balls, Mohit Sharma was on strike. He missed the first ball, prompting an LSG review for LBW, but the ball was missing the stumps. Mohit then nudged a single, putting Ashutosh on strike. And with the game on the line, Ashutosh finished in style – smashing a six to seal an epic one-wicket victory for DC.

In a game that saw fortunes swing wildly, Ashutosh Sharma emerged as the undisputed hero. His fearless 66* off 31 balls, including 5 fours and 5 sixes, ensured Delhi Capitals began their IPL 2025 campaign with a thrilling victory.

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