Tue Mar 25 01:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Lucknow Super Giants Fall Short Despite Marsh and Pooran’s Explosive Innings
**Lucknow, India** – The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) suffered a narrow one-run defeat against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in a thrilling IPL match on Monday, despite impressive performances from Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran. While Marsh smashed 72 runs off 36 balls and Pooran contributed a quickfire 75, a late collapse and a lackluster performance from captain KL Rahul proved costly.
Marsh and Pooran put on a strong opening partnership, scoring 46 and 87 runs respectively for the first and second wickets. However, the momentum shifted dramatically after Rahul’s dismissal for a duck, caught by Faf du Plessis off Kuldeep Yadav. The Delhi bowlers then staged a remarkable comeback, restricting LSG to 194/7 despite a late flourish from David Miller.
Rahul, the most expensive player in the IPL auction last year, struggled against his former team’s bowlers, failing to score in his five-ball innings. His early dismissal triggered a collapse that saw the loss of several key wickets in quick succession. Kuldeep Yadav was particularly effective, taking two wickets for 20 runs.
In contrast, Delhi Capitals’ batting order also faltered initially, losing three early wickets for seven runs, thanks to the impressive bowling of Shardul Thakur. However, a crucial 43-run partnership between Axar Patel and Faf du Plessis provided a foundation. The match then took a turn as Ashutosh Sharma, playing for Delhi after a difficult season with Punjab Kings, played a match-winning innings of 66 runs, helping DC reach the target.
Sharma, who was bought for ₹3.80 crore by Delhi, reflected on his past struggles in finishing matches and said that he learned from last year’s experiences. He attributed his success to focused practice on finishing matches. The match also saw impressive performances from debutants for both teams, including Vipraj Nimje for Delhi, who contributed a quick 39 runs, and Digvesh Rathi, who took two wickets for DC.
Despite the loss, Rahul expressed satisfaction with the team’s batting effort and attributed the defeat to a bit of bad luck.
First Piper 