Mar 24, 2025

Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Match 4 report - IPL 2025

Ashutosh Sharma’s Miracle Knock Leads DC to Record-Breaking Win Over LSG!

Visakhapatnam witnessed an IPL classic! In Match 4 of TATA IPL 2025, the Delhi Capitals (DC) pulled off a sensational one-wicket victory against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a match that kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very last over.

The game swung “like a pendulum,” with Delhi Capitals chasing down LSG’s challenging total of 209. This was DC’s highest successful run chase ever in IPL history! It was also the first time any team had chased down a target over 200 against LSG, making DC’s win truly special.

The hero for DC was Ashutosh Sharma, who played a “miraculous” unbeaten innings of 66 runs off just 31 balls, snatching victory when DC seemed “down and seemingly out.” For LSG, Nicholas Pooran’s fiery 75 off 30 balls and Mitchell Marsh’s powerful 72 off 36 went in vain. This match showed DC’s incredible batting strength under pressure and raised early questions about LSG’s ability to defend big scores.

The Toss: DC Chose to Chase

Delhi Capitals, led by their new full-time captain Axar Patel, won the toss and decided to bowl first. This meant Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants would set the target. Choosing to chase against LSG’s strong batting line-up, which included debutants Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh as openers, was a bold move by Patel. The decision was likely based on potential dew later and the Visakhapatnam pitch offering “enough grip” for bowlers.

Lucknow Super Giants Innings: An Explosive Start, Then a Stumble (209/8)

LSG got off to a flying start with their new opening pair. Aiden Markram (15 off 13) and especially Mitchell Marsh attacked from the get-go, with Marsh being particularly aggressive against fellow Aussie Mitchell Starc. They “smashed some scintillating boundaries,” helping LSG reach a strong 64/1 in the powerplay (first 6 overs).

Marsh continued his onslaught, racing to his fastest IPL fifty in just 21 balls, eventually scoring a destructive 72 runs from 36 deliveries (6 fours, 6 sixes). He was joined by Nicholas Pooran, who immediately started his own fireworks, hammering 75 runs off just 30 balls. Pooran famously smashed 25 runs in one over from Vipraj Nigam. Their partnership for the second wicket was a stunning 87 runs, taking LSG past 100 in just 8.1 overs and setting them up for a huge total.

However, the innings hit a speed bump.

Marsh’s dismissal broke the momentum.
LSG captain Rishabh Pant, in his debut for the franchise, was out for a duck (0 off 6 balls) – a big blow from Kuldeep Yadav.
Pooran’s fantastic knock was ended by Starc. This led to a mini-collapse, with Ayush Badoni (4), Shardul Thakur (0), Shahbaz Ahamad (9), and Ravi Bishnoi (0) all falling quickly. LSG went from a strong 161/3 when Pant fell, to 177/6. A late cameo from David Miller (unbeaten 27 off 19 balls), including two sixes in the final over, helped LSG finish at 209/8.

While LSG showed their top-order power, their middle and lower order looked a bit shaky once the main hitters were out.

LSG Batting Scorecard:

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Aiden Markram	c Fraser-McGurk b Vipraj Nigam	15	13	3	0	115.38
Mitchell Marsh	c Porel b Mukesh Kumar	72	36	6	6	200.00
Nicholas Pooran	c Axar b Starc	75	30	6	6	250.00
Rishabh Pant (c)	c Fraser-McGurk b Kuldeep Yadav	0	6	0	0	0.00
Ayush Badoni	c Porel b Kuldeep Yadav	4	5	0	0	80.00
Shardul Thakur	run out (Kuldeep Yadav)	0	0	0	0	---
David Miller	not out	27	19	0	3	142.11
Shahbaz Ahamad	c Axar b Starc	9	8	1	0	112.50
Ravi Bishnoi	b Starc	0	2	0	0	0.00
Prince Yadav	not out	0	1	0	0	0.00
Extras	(lb 2, w 4, nb 1)	7
Total	(8 wkts, 20 Ov)	209

Fall of Wickets: 46-1 (Aiden Markram, 4.4 ov), 133-2 (Mitchell Marsh, 11.4 ov), 161-3 (Rishabh Pant, 13.4 ov), 169-4 (Nicholas Pooran, 14.5 ov), 177-5 (Ayush Badoni, 16.2 ov), 177-6 (Shardul Thakur, 16.4 ov), 194-7 (Shahbaz Ahamad, 18.4 ov), 194-8 (Ravi Bishnoi, 18.6 ov).

Delhi Capitals’ Bowling: Starc & Kuldeep Shine

Facing LSG’s aggressive batting was tough for DC’s bowlers.

Mitchell Starc, though a bit expensive (10.50 runs per over), took 3 crucial wickets for 42 runs, including the dangerous Nicholas Pooran.
The star bowler for DC was Kuldeep Yadav. His spell of 2 wickets for 20 runs in 4 overs (economy rate of 5.00) was brilliant. He dismissed Rishabh Pant and Ayush Badoni and also forced Shardul Thakur’s run-out. His bowling was key in “turning the game around” during LSG’s middle overs and likely kept LSG from scoring 230-240.
Captain Axar Patel was economical with 0/18 in 3 overs.
Mukesh Kumar got the important wicket of Mitchell Marsh (1/22 in 2 overs).
Debutant Vipraj Nigam (1/35 in 2 overs), Tristan Stubbs (0/28 in 1 over), and Mohit Sharma (0/42 in 4 overs) found it difficult. Nigam conceded 25 runs in one over, and Stubbs’ over was also costly.

This showed DC relied heavily on Starc and Kuldeep, and need more consistent support from other bowlers.

DC Bowling Figures:

Bowler	O	R	W	NB	WD	ECO
Mitchell Starc	4	42	3	0	0	10.50
Axar Patel	3	18	0	0	0	6.00
Vipraj Nigam	2	35	1	0	0	17.50
Mukesh Kumar	2	22	1	0	1	11.00
Kuldeep Yadav	4	20	2	0	0	5.00
Mohit Sharma	4	42	0	1	3	10.50
Tristan Stubbs	1	28	0	0	0	28.00

The Chase: DC’s Incredible Rollercoaster to Victory! (211/9 in 19.3 overs)

DC’s chase for 210 started terribly. LSG’s Shardul Thakur bowled a stunning opening over, dismissing Jake Fraser-McGurk (1) and wicketkeeper Abishek Porel (0). Impact player Manimaran Siddharth then removed Sameer Rizvi (4), leaving DC in huge trouble at 7/3.

Captain Axar Patel (22 off 11) and the experienced Faf du Plessis (29 off 18) tried to fight back. But debutant Digvesh Singh got Axar, and Ravi Bishnoi dismissed du Plessis. DC were struggling at 65/5.

Tristan Stubbs (34 off 22), who hit one six “out of the stadium,” and Ashutosh Sharma started a recovery with a 48-run partnership. After Stubbs fell at 113/6 with nearly 100 runs needed from 45 balls, IPL debutant Vipraj Nigam joined Ashutosh Sharma.

Nigam played a fearless, game-changing knock of 39 runs from just 15 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes, strike rate 260.00!). Their 55-run partnership for the seventh wicket brought DC “back into the contest” from what looked like a lost cause.

After Nigam was dismissed by Digvesh Singh (DC 168/7), Ashutosh Sharma took complete charge. His unbeaten 66 off 31 balls (5 fours, 5 sixes) was a masterclass in hitting under pressure. A key moment was the 18th over when he attacked Ravi Bishnoi, hitting a six, a four, and another six, dramatically bringing the target within reach.

The end was full of tension. Mitchell Starc (2) and Kuldeep Yadav (run out for 5) fell, leaving DC at 192/9. In the final over, bowled by spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, DC needed 6 runs with only one wicket left. LSG missed a stumping and a run-out chance. With 5 runs needed from 4 balls, Ashutosh Sharma calmly lofted the ball over the bowler’s head to seal an amazing and historic win!

DC Batting Scorecard:

Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Jake Fraser-McGurk	c Pooran b Thakur	1	2	0	0	50.00
Abishek Porel (wk)	c Pooran b Thakur	0	2	0	0	0.00
Sameer Rizvi	c Bishnoi b Siddharth	4	4	1	0	100.00
Axar Patel (c)	c Thakur b Digvesh Singh	22	11	3	1	200.00
Faf du Plessis	c Thakur b Bishnoi	29	18	3	1	161.11
Tristan Stubbs	b Siddharth	34	22	2	2	154.55
Ashutosh Sharma	not out	66	31	5	5	212.90
Vipraj Nigam	c Bishnoi b Digvesh Singh	39	15	5	2	260.00
Mitchell Starc	c Pant b Bishnoi	2	6	0	0	33.33
Kuldeep Yadav	run out (Pant/Thakur)	5	5	1	0	100.00
Mohit Sharma	not out	1	1	0	0	100.00
Extras	(w 8)	8
Total	(9 wkts, 19.3 Ov)	211

Fall of Wickets: 2-1 (Jake Fraser-McGurk, 0.3 ov), 2-2 (Abishek Porel, 0.5 ov), 7-3 (Sameer Rizvi, 1.4 ov), 50-4 (Axar Patel, 5.3 ov), 65-5 (Faf du Plessis, 6.4 ov), 113-6 (Tristan Stubbs, 12.3 ov), 168-7 (Vipraj Nigam, 16.1 ov), 171-8 (Mitchell Starc, 17.1 ov), 192-9 (Kuldeep Yadav, 18.3 ov).

Lucknow Super Giants’ Bowling: Strong Start, Costly Finish

LSG started their defense brilliantly with Shardul Thakur. His opening spell of 2 wickets for 19 runs in 2 overs was sensational, dismissing both DC openers. The spinners then kept up the pressure:

Manimaran Siddharth (2/39 in 4 overs) got Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs.
Ravi Bishnoi (2/53 in 4 overs) dismissed Faf du Plessis and Mitchell Starc.
Debutant Digvesh Singh (2/31 in 4 overs) also chipped in, getting Axar Patel and Vipraj Nigam.

However, things changed dramatically for LSG’s bowlers, especially the spinners, at the end. LSG captain Rishabh Pant decided to use his spinners in the death overs. This proved costly as Ravi Bishnoi “missed his lengths very badly in the 18th over,” giving away many runs to Ashutosh Sharma (6, 4, 6 sequence), which was a major turning point.

Entrusting spinner Shahbaz Ahmed with the final over (needing to defend 6 runs) also backfired. He conceded 15 runs in 1.3 overs without a wicket. Crucial missed stumping and run-out chances in that final over also hurt LSG. Apart from Thakur, other pacers like Prince Yadav (0/47 in 4 overs) were also expensive. LSG’s bowlers couldn’t maintain discipline under pressure from Ashutosh and Nigam in the death overs (overs 18-20), despite having DC at 113/6.

LSG Bowling Figures:

Bowler	O	R	W	WD	ECO
Shardul Thakur	2	19	2	1	9.50
Manimaran Siddharth	4	39	2	0	9.75
Digvesh Singh	4	31	2	1	7.75
Ravi Bishnoi	4	53	2	0	13.25
Prince Yadav	4	47	0	1	11.75
Shahbaz Ahamad	1.3	22	0	1	14.67

Key Moments That Defined the Thriller

LSG’s Powerplay Attack & Pooran-Marsh Dominance: Set a blazing start for LSG.
Kuldeep Yadav’s Crucial Spell: His economical bowling and key wickets (including Pant’s) restricted LSG.
Shardul Thakur’s Opening Burst: His two wickets in DC’s first over put LSG in a commanding position.
The Ashutosh-Nigam Counter-Attack: Their 55-run partnership when DC were 113/6 turned the game around.
Ashutosh Sharma’s 18th Over Onslaught: His attack on Ravi Bishnoi massively reduced the runs needed and shifted momentum.
The Final Over Drama: Missed chances by LSG and Ashutosh Sharma’s calm finish sealed the deal.

Heroes of the Match

Ashutosh Sharma (DC - Player of the Match): His unbeaten 66 off 31 balls was an innings of incredible composure and power under immense pressure. International commentators like Michael Vaughan praised his “composure in chaos.”
Vipraj Nigam (DC): The IPL debutant’s “fearless 39 off 15 played a crucial role” and gave DC vital momentum.
Kuldeep Yadav (DC): His 2/20 was key in keeping LSG’s total within reach.
Mitchell Starc (DC): Took 3 important wickets, including Pooran.
For LSG (in a losing cause):
- Nicholas Pooran: 75 off 30 balls was pure destruction.
- Mitchell Marsh: 72 off 36 set a great platform.
- Shardul Thakur: His opening spell of 2/19 was a dream start.

Conclusion: A Record Chase, A Big Statement!

This match will be remembered as an IPL classic! Delhi Capitals’ dramatic one-wicket win, achieved through a record-breaking chase, showed their resilience and unexpected batting depth. Even when they seemed “down and seemingly out,” they fought back incredibly.

For Lucknow Super Giants, it was a tough loss. They dominated large parts but couldn’t finish the job, especially with their bowling and fielding in the final overs. Those missed chances in the last over will surely hurt.

What this means:

Delhi Capitals: A massive confidence boost. The emergence of talents like Ashutosh Sharma and Vipraj Nigam is exciting for their squad.
Lucknow Super Giants: Need to look at their death bowling strategies and execution. Rishabh Pant’s captaincy in the tense final stages might also be reviewed.

This match was a perfect example of T20 cricket’s thrilling unpredictability. It also shows that teams might chase down 200+ scores more often in IPL 2025 if they bat fearlessly and capitalize on bowling mistakes. The impact of debutants and Impact Players also highlighted the dynamic nature of modern IPL teams.