After his heroic 66 for Delhi Capitals, the young batter shares insights on staying calm under pressure, learning from past mistakes, and benefiting from Kevin Pietersen’s mentorship.
Visakhapatnam, March 25:
In a high-stakes run chase that defied all win predictors, Ashutosh Sharma emerged as Delhi Capitals’ (DC) unexpected hero, scoring a match-winning 66 off 31 balls* to seal a thrilling one-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Speaking after the match, the 26-year-old reflected on his mindset, his journey since his 2024 debut with Punjab Kings (PBKS), and the influence of DC mentor Kevin Pietersen.
“I was confident. I wasn’t overthinking it. My focus was to go deep and bat till the 20th over. If Mohit (Sharma) took a single, I knew I could finish it with a six,” Ashutosh said during the post-match press conference.
The Railways batter credited his familiarity with the Vizag pitch—having played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024 there—as a key factor in assessing conditions and executing the chase under pressure.
“Playing SMAT here helped. I knew how the wicket behaved in both innings. That awareness gave me an edge,” he added. Ashutosh had scored 164 runs in five innings in that tournament, including two half-centuries.
Reflecting on his breakout 2024 IPL season with PBKS, where he scored 189 runs in nine innings, Ashutosh acknowledged that it was a learning curve.
“Last season is history. I’ve taken the positives, worked on my mistakes in domestic cricket, and applied that learning now.”
Ashutosh also praised former England skipper Kevin Pietersen, who is currently mentoring the Delhi Capitals squad.
“It’s great to have KP around. He’s a legend, and I love talking to him about how he used to bat. I’m learning a lot,” he said.
Match Recap:
After DC chose to bowl, LSG’s Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36) and Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30) unleashed a flurry of sixes to post a daunting 209/8. However, late wickets from Kuldeep Yadav (2/20) and a tight death-over spell pulled things back for Delhi.
In response, DC stumbled to 65/5, with early wickets derailing their start. Brief partnerships from Faf du Plessis (29) and Axar Patel (22) offered hope, but it was Ashutosh’s partnerships with Tristan Stubbs (34) and Vipraj Nigam (39 off 15) that turned the tide.
Ashutosh held his nerve in the final overs, taking DC home with just one wicket and three balls to spare. His poise and power under pressure earned him the Player of the Match award.