A nerve-wrecking thriller finally comes to an end after the ex-Punjab Kings batter Ashutosh Sharma almost single-handedly shattered the Lucknow Supergiants bowlers. He stood not out 61, which he achieved in 31 balls, by hitting five boundaries and five sixes! Ashutosh came in as an impact substitute for Mukesh Kumar, and rightly justified his inclusion. While he came in, Delhi was struggling in their 60s already loosing 5 early wickets. The target 210 did not look too big at all, but Delhi loosing repeated wickets, made the chase tougher. Afew impulsive missed catches, false target, amalgamated all positives in favour of Delhi Capitals, gifting them their first win of the season. Delhi Capitals’ chase of 210 never found stability as their batters failed to build lasting partnerships. The innings began disastrously with Jake Fraser-McGurk (1) and Abishek Porel (0) falling in the very first over. Faf du Plessis looked in good touch, smashing 29 off just 18 balls, but his dismissal in the powerplay put DC under pressure. The formerly hyped CSK rookie Sameer Rizvi (4) departed cheaply, while Axar Patel (22 off 11) and Tristan Stubbs (34 off 22) played brief cameos but couldn't anchor the innings. Vipraj Nigam’s explosive 39 off 15 balls gave DC a fighting chance, yet wickets kept tumbling. Mitchell Starc (2) and Kuldeep Yadav (5) failed to contribute, leaving the lower order with too much to do. Despite a few flashes of brilliance, the lack of sustained partnerships and regular breakthroughs by LSG’s bowlers increased Delhi's heartbeats until Ashutosh rescued the chase. For LSG, Shardul Thakur, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, and Ravi Bishnoi took two each. While Bishnoi proved expensive, Rathi was the most economical. Read also: 6-ball duck for Rishabh Pant against ex-franchise DC, fails to get off the mark for LSG LSG Posts 209 despite explosive start Loosing the toss and coming to bat first, the Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) posted a formidable total of 209/8 in their 20 overs against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The match, featuring Axar Patel’s debut as DC’s full-time captain, saw boundaries flow freely due to the relatively shorter dimensions of the ground. The Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who opened for LSG played a stormy 72-run knock off 36 balls. Even though Aiden Markram gave a good start, he got dismissed by the young Vipraj Nigam. Thereafter, Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30), who got a life at 17, stole the show with his explosive shots. Marsh, opening the innings, displayed brute power, smashing six fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 200.00, while Pooran went berserk with a 250.00 strike rate, hammering seven sixes and six fours. Their partnership was crucial in propelling LSG to a staggering 161/2 in the first 13 overs. However, the Delhi Capitals stormed back into the match with a sensational bowling comeback after dismissing Marsh and Nicky P in rapid succession. LSG captain Pant survived 5 balls but without scoring until he got dismissed at the sixth ball. LSG could only manage 48/6 in the last 7 overs, as Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav put the brakes on the innings. Starc was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets, while Kuldeep also struck twice, including the big wicket of Rishabh Pant for a duck. Despite David Miller (27 off 19) staring a shaky against the slowers, he smashed two sixes, finishing dragging LSG's score to 209. Delhi’s chase seemed doomed early on, but Ashutosh Sharma’s fearless batting turned the tables. His explosive knock ensured DC crossed the line in dramatic fashion, clinching their first victory of the season.