On Monday, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) by one run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025’s second consecutive last-over finish. However, skipper Rishabh Pant’s final-over stumping may have won the game for DC.
Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36) and Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30) helped LSG score 209/8 despite pacer injury. Ashutosh Sharma (66* off 31) and rookie Vipraj Nigam (39 off 15) kept the Delhi Capitals in the hunt after they fell behind at 7 for 3.
DC had one wicket left and needed six runs to win in the final over.
Shahbaz Ahmed bowled the over to LSG No. 11 batsman Mohit Sharma. It happened on the opening ball of the 20th over.
Shahbaz’s delivery beat Mohit’s flick as it hit the pad and carried to Pant, who failed to retrieve it cleanly. A stumping would have won the game for Delhi had he done so. Instead, the wicketkeeper reviewed the LBW judgment to get the final wicket. LSG survived the fright after ball-tracking showed the delivery missed the off stump.
Mohit gave a single to the composed Ashutosh in the very next delivery, so the miss cost them dearly. With a six over the bowler to end the game and give DC their first victory of the year, the right-handed batsman wasted no time in getting his team over the finish line. After the match, Pant talked about how luck played a part, but he also said his side needed to improve their cricketing.
“This game is undoubtedly influenced by luck, and there was a potential for stumping if it had missed Mohit Sharma’s pads. At the post-match celebration, he said, “But these things happen in the game of cricket; you can’t focus on these things; instead, you need to play better cricket.”