Ashutosh Sharma displayed calmness under pressure to play a match-winning knock for Delhi Capitals against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday. Ashutosh smashed 66* off 31 balls that lifted Delhi to victory with three balls to spare, securing an unlikely win for the Capitals in Visakhapatnam
After hitting the winning shot, an elated Ashutosh dropped to one knee and performed a "switch hit" gesture, pointing towards the dugout in tribute to the team's newly announced mentor, Kevin Pietersen.
The England legend, who was thrilled by the dramatic finish, jumped into a jubilant celebration, hugging the team members before personally congratulating Ashutosh for his heroic knock. Pietersen, famous for popularising the switch hit during his playing days, broke into a wide smile from the dugout as the team celebrated.
Ashutosh was shockingly released by Punjab Kings ahead of the IPL mega auction despite a string of stunning performances in the 2024 season. The innings from right-hander was a strong message to former employers who failed to show their faith on one of the star players from last season.
Ashutosh plays the role of finisher to perfection
Delhi were in deep trouble in their chase of 210, having been reduced to 65 for five after Faf du Plessis was dismissed for 29 in his debut match for the franchise. But Ashutosh, playing as an impact substitute, single-handedly revived Delhi's hopes, taking them over the line with three balls to spare in Vizag.
With 22 runs needed from the last two overs and just six runs required off the final six balls, Ashutosh remained calm and hit the match-winning six. 210 runs is the highest target successfully chased by Delhi Capitals in IPL and this is also the first time a 200-plus target chased against LSG.
After receiving the player of the match award, Ashutosh said, "Took the lessons from last year. Missed out on finishing the game on a couple of occasions in the previous season. The whole year I focussed and visualised about it. Had the belief that if I play till the last over, anything can happen".
