The first proper thriller of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 took place at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. At 113/6, with nearly 100 runs needed off just 45 balls, Delhi Capitals' (DC) chances of chasing down the 209-run target set by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) looked almost impossible.
However, after the top order collapsed, it was the lower order that took charge, keeping DC in the game. The match, which seemed all but lost¡ªLSG already believing they had it in the bag¡ªtook a dramatic turn as 20-year-old Vipraj Nigam, on his IPL debut, and Ashutosh Sharma pulled off a stunning chase - getting DC a 1 wicket win.
The two youngsters stole the show as the DC dugout erupted in joy, struggling to believe what had just unfolded. Ashutosh Sharma swung his bat in celebration with his emotions on full display. The comeback began with a sensational blitz from Vipraj Nigam, who marked his IPL debut with a breathtaking 39 off just 15 balls.?
Ashutosh Sharma also took charge, continuing his stellar form from last season, remaining unbeaten on 66 off 31 balls and sealing the victory in style with a match-winning six, as DC triumphed by 1 wicket.?
Fans, who thoroughly enjoyed the game, couldn't help but talk about it¡ªwhile also trolling Rishabh Pant, who had been dismissed for a 6-ball duck. As "What a match!" trended on X (formerly known as Twitter), Pant's name also gained attention¡ªfor all the wrong reasons. The former DC player, who had shifted to LSG and became their captain, failed to secure a victory in their first clash of the season.
One fan wrote, "Ashutosh & Nigam¡ What a match, guys!"?
Another wrote, "Rishabh Pant missed the stumping of Mohit Sharma when only 1 wicket was needed... Dropped an easy catch... Scored a 6-ball duck... Poor captaincy."?
One fan exclaimed, "WHAT A MATCH! DC were 3 wickets down in 2 overs, I really lost hope. But then Ashutosh Sharma came in, the score was 65-5¡ and the rest is history! This is when you realize that nothing is too late if you have the will to do it. Sharma, you don¡¯t even know what you really are¡ªan absolute gem!"
Another said, "I turned OFF the TV thinking LSG had won, but Ashutosh Sharma & Vipraj fought like warriors and turned the tables!"
One fan added, "Rishabh Pant got ?27 crore just to score a duck and miss the match-winning stumping!"?
LSG were put in to bat first, and thanks to Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30) and Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36), they posted a competitive 209 for 8. Pooran and Marsh combined for a blistering 147 off 66 balls, while the rest of the LSG lineup struggled, managing only 55 off 55 deliveries.?
Chasing 210, DC suffered an early collapse, tumbling to 7 for 3. However, debutant Vipraj Nigam, batting at No. 8, turned the game on its head with a stunning 39 off just 15 balls. Though he fell with 42 runs still needed off 24 balls, Ashutosh Sharma took charge, holding his nerve to guide DC to victory, sealing the win in style with a match-winning six down the ground off Shahbaz Ahmed.
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant(w/c), David Miller, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi?
Impact Subs: Manimaran Siddharth, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Akash Singh, RS Hangargekar.?
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel(w), Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar?
Impact Subs: Karun Nair, Ashutosh Sharma, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Darshan Nalkande??
For more news and updates from the world of?OTT, and?celebrities?from?Bollywood?and?Hollywood, keep reading?Indiatimes Entertainment.