Ashutosh Sharma His expression conveyed quite a bit. The wide grin reflected profound contentment, born from considerable effort, dedication, and persistence. “All my hard work has finally paid off; I’m truly delighted,” Ashutosh shared with journalists when questioned about his emotions. His sparkling eyes communicated far more than his mouth possibly could have. This was precisely the kind of evening the right-handed batsman relished. Having been let go by Punjab Kings following a productive season previously, Ashutosh had a score to settle with his new team. Delhi Capitals And indeed, he demonstrated this at the very first chance he had.
Pursuing a target of 210 runs, Delhi Capitals faced a tough challenge against their opponents. Lucknow Super Giants By the seventh over, they had lost five wickets for only 65 runs. Nevertheless, entering as a substitute player, Ashutosh Sharma stepped up magnificently and produced an extraordinary undefeated innings of 66 from merely 31 deliveries, thanks to his bold batting and unshakable composure. In a nail-biting finish during the final over, DC narrowly defeated LSG by one run at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Ashutosh received great support from newcomer Vipraj Nigam, who delivered a vital knock of 39 runs off just 15 deliveries during the remarkable run chase by the home team.
Requiring 22 from the last two overs and needing six runs off the final six deliveries with just one batsman left, Ashutosh remained resolute and struck a boundary-winning six. Following the game, Ashutosh commented on the tense concluding over delivered by Shahbaz Ahmed. DC required six runs when Mohit Sharma was at the crease for the last time.
Ashutosh mentioned that he was quite composed back then and resolved that if the bowler delivers a single, he would hit a six instead. He felt completely confident about his skills. He genuinely relished the experience of playing out there, and all his efforts were rewarded.
In response to queries regarding his approach under pressure, the 26-year-old mentioned, “Stick to fundamentals and have confidence in myself. The focus was on adhering to the strategy and trying to play through until the end of the innings. My tactic involved stepping up the pace later on and aiming to bat right up to the final over.”
Ashutosh attributes his success to mentor Kevin Pietersen.
Discussing his progress up until now and collaborating with Delhi Capitals' advisor Kevin Pietersen, Ashutosh mentioned, "I've carried forward the positive aspects from the previous season and worked on improving my game this time around. I make certain not to repeat past errors and am implementing strategies that were effective for me during domestic matches."
"It's good to have a legend like KP in the dressing room. I always make it a point to talk to him about batting and learn from his experiences. He was telling me it was too easy (after the win)," he added.
Talking about his experience of playing at Delhi Capitals’ secondary home ground in Visakhapatnam, Ashutosh mentioned, “I had previously participated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy held in Vizag, which gave me insight into how the pitch plays during both halves of the game. Therefore, Vizag turns out to be quite favorable for my performance.”
"I simply wish to express my gratitude to the supporters of DC and Vizag. The competition has only just started, so your continued backing would be greatly appreciated. We aim to perform well in our upcoming fixtures," he stated at the conclusion.
The Delhi Capitals will face the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their second game of IPL 2025 at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Sunday (March 30).
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