Delhi Capitals secure victory against Lucknow Super Giants

KATHMANDU: Delhi Capitals made a sensational start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign on Monday, defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 1 wicket in a thrilling contest.

Chasing a target of 210 runs, Delhi managed to cross the line in 19.3 overs, losing 9 wickets in the process. The Capitals’ chase got off to a disastrous start, losing 3 crucial wickets for just 7 runs. Openers Jacky Fraser and Abhishek Porel were dismissed for 1 and a duck respectively, while Sameer Rizvi fell for 4.

Captain Axar Patel also departed for 22, leaving Delhi reeling at 58/4 after the first powerplay.

With the pressure mounting, Delhi appeared to be on the brink of defeat as Faf du Plessis (29) and Tristan Stubbs (34) also fell cheaply. However, Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam steadied the ship with a vital 55-run partnership for the seventh wicket, which became Delhi’s highest stand in the innings.

Nigam contributed 39 runs off 15 balls before being dismissed, but Ashutosh remained unfazed. With some spectacular batting, he led Delhi to the brink of victory.

The 19th over became a turning point. On the third ball, Prince Yadav dismissed Kuldeep Yadav, but Ashutosh responded in style, hitting two runs to bring up his half-century on the fourth ball. He then followed up with a six on the fifth ball and a four on the sixth, leaving Delhi needing just 6 runs from the final 6 balls.

In the final moments, Mohit Sharma struck a single on the second ball, handing the strike back to Ashutosh. He finished the game in style, hitting a six off the third ball, guiding Delhi to a 1-wicket win with 3 balls remaining. Ashutosh’s brilliant innings of 66 not out from 31 balls included 5 fours and 5 sixes.

Lucknow’s bowlers, including Shardul Thakur, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvijay Rathi, and Ravi Bishnoi, each claimed 2 wickets.

Earlier, after losing the toss and being invited to bowl first, Lucknow Super Giants posted a total of 209/8 in their 20 overs.

Openers Aiden Markram (15) and Mitchell Marsh (50) fell early, but Nicholas Pooran played a fiery knock, scoring 75 runs from 30 balls, including 6 fours and 7 sixes. Marsh and Pooran shared an explosive 87-run partnership for the second wicket, with Marsh smashing 5 fours and 6 sixes in his 36-ball 72.

Debutant David Miller contributed an unbeaten 27, while Lucknow’s total was further bolstered by explosive batting in the middle overs.

Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler for Delhi, taking 3 wickets for 42 runs in his 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav claimed 2 wickets, while Vipraj Nigam and Mukesh Kumar each took 1 wicket.

With this thrilling win, Delhi Capitals secured 2 valuable points to start their IPL campaign on a high note.