Ashutosh Sharma was named the player of the match for playing one of the best knocks. He turned the game in his side’s favor even though for the batter part of the game it looked like the Capitals were dead and buried. The 26-year-old remained unbeaten and scored 66 runs in only 31 deliveries. His knock came under immense pressure. He had scored only 20 runs in the first 20 balls he had faced. However, once the pacers came back into the attack, Ashutosh accelerated brilliantly and then sealed the victory with a six in the final over against Shahbaz Ahmed.
Ashutosh Sharma played one of the best knocks of the season. The 26-year-old remained unbeaten and smashed 66 runs off only 36 deliveries to register a famous victory for the Capitals. He had made 20 runs off 20 deliveries at one stage in the game. However, once the pacers came back into the attack, Ashutosh looked like a completely different batter. He accelerated like Usain Bolt on a 100-meter track and scored 46 runs in the last 16 balls he faced.
When Ashutosh was struggling for timing against the spin bowlers, Vipraj Nigam made sure that the Capitals remained in the hunt by playing some great shots. He played with a positive intent and ended up scoring at a strike rate of 260. His 15-ball knock consisting of five fours and two sixes was the perfect cameo DC needed.
Nicholas Pooran was the star with the bat in hand for the Lucknow Super Giants. The left-handed batter from the West Indies scored 75 runs off 30 balls to put the match to bed in the first 14 overs. He put on a great show for every fan who turned up at the ACA-VDCA Stadium and tuned in to watch the match. Facing Tristan Stubbs, Pooran unleashed his wrath by smashing four sixes and a four in a row to collect 28 runs off the over.
Mitchell Marsh had been out of the limelight for the past couple of months after a disastrous performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in home conditions. The all-rounder was met with another setback in the form of an injury keeping him out of the Australian squad for the Champions Trophy. However, his return to professional cricket was grand, to say the least. The Australian all-rounder made 72 runs in 36 balls smashing six fours and sixes each. He shared a crucial stand with Pooran for the third wicket which powered Lucknow Super Giants to a great score.
In an otherwise gloomy night for the Delhi Capitals' bowler, Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling was the sole positive. The left-arm wrist spinner bowled beautifully to restrict the Super Giants for a total of 209 runs even though at one point it looked like they would score well above 240. He picked up Rishabh Pant’s wicket as the ₹27-crore-superstar was dismissed for a six-ball duck. He also dismissed Ayush Badoni to pick up his second wicket of the match. Kuldeep was also the most economical bowler across both teams conceding only 20 runs in his quota of four overs.
Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh put on a show for every fan of the Lucknow Super Giants in the first innings. The two overseas batters went bonkers and looked all set to score their tons. Pooran top-scored with 75 runs off 30 deliveries. Marsh, on the other hand, scored 72 runs in 36 balls to provide a great start to the innings. For Delhi, Mitchell Starc picked up three wickets, but it was Kuldeep Yadav who created the most impact. The Indian spinner picked up two wickets which included the opposition skipper, Rishabh Pant. He only went for 20 runs in his four overs and ended up as the most economical bowler of the night.
The second innings between Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants can be divided into two unequal parts. For the better part of the game, it looked like the Lucknow Super Giants would register a thumping victory against the Delhi Capitals. However, the young batting guns of the Capitals had other plans. Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam played great knocks. The former remained unbeaten and scored 66 runs in 31 balls. He sealed the win with a six in the final over of the match. Vipraj on the other hand scored 39 runs in 15 balls to provide a great supporting hand to Ashutosh.
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