Ashutosh stars as Delhi beat Lucknow in IPL thriller

Ashutosh Sharma’s unbeaten 66 off 31 balls helped Delhi Capitals clinch a dramatic one-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.

The Super Giants posted an imposing 209-8 and the Capitals were in trouble at 7-3 and then 65-5 in their run chase.

However, a stunning innings from Ashutosh, on his Delhi debut as an impact player substitute, secured a thrilling victory for the Capitals in the final over as they got home in dramatic fashion.

With six runs required off the final over- bowled by Shahbaz Ahmed- to win, Delhi number 11 Mohit Sharma survived a nervy lbw review and then managed to scramble a single off the next ball.

Ashutosh then whacked a towering straight six off Shahbaz to send the crowd in Visakhapatnam delirious as victory was wrapped up with three balls to spare.

Delhi’s chase was their highest in IPL history, eclipsing the 209 they made to beat Gujarat Lions in May 2017, and the ninth highest overall.

Earlier, Nicholas Pooran’s 75 off 30 balls had helped the Super Giants to a commanding total. It was a knock which included six fours and seven sixes and came at a strike-rate of 250.

The West Indies batter had combined well with Australia all-rounder Mitch Marsh, who made a breezy 72 off 36 balls, in a second-wicket stand of 87.

Pooran was eventually dismissed in the 15th over when Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Starc splattered his stumps as he finished with 3-42.

Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant made a six-ball duck in his first appearance against his former team as he was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav, who claimed a miserly 2-20.

Delhi made a terrible start to their reply as Shardul Thakur struck twice in the first over to remove Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel cheaply, before Faf du Plessis and Axar Patel steadied the ship with knocks of 29 and 22.

Delhi’s lower-middle order also rallied and they stayed in touch with the run-rate thanks to Tristan Stubbs (34 off 22 balls) and Vipraj Nigam (39 off 14 balls).

LSG still looked heavy favourites with 22 required off the final two overs, but Ashutosh kept his composure amid the chaos, with a brilliant innings which included five fours and five sixes, to get his side over the line. (BBC)