Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 25: Following Delhi Capitals’ (DC) thrilling one-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), pacer Mitchell Starc praised skipper Axar Patel for his composed leadership and his impressive transformation into a “dominant all-rounder” in international cricket.
Starc, who shared his first dressing room experience with Axar, highlighted the captain’s calm demeanor and noted his crucial contributions with the bat in the victory. Reflecting on the match during the ‘Match Center Live’ segment on JioHotstar, Starc said, “He has been pretty calm. This is the first time I’ve shared a dressing room with him. Having seen him from the other side of the field, it is impressive how he has developed into such a dominant all-rounder in international cricket today. Even the intent he showed with the bat tonight played a crucial role in getting us on our way. He has been fantastic.”
Starc also emphasized the team’s depth in leadership, pointing out the wealth of experience in the squad with senior players like Faf Du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs. He stated, “Of course, we also have Faf Du Plessis, who has captained extensively in both international and franchise cricket. I think we have a great mix of senior players—experienced leaders like Faf and Tristan Stubbs, who has been with this team for a while. There is a wealth of knowledge within the group. And with Axar, his cool, calm, and collected approach to the game is evident. Hopefully, that rubs off on the rest of the team. Chases like tonight—where we dig deep and get over the line—will only strengthen us moving forward.”
Match Summary:
After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, DC faced a strong LSG batting performance. Mitchell Marsh (72 off 36 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (75 off 30 balls) put up an 87-run stand for the second wicket, with both players hitting towering sixes and elegant boundaries. LSG eventually posted 209/8 in their 20 overs, thanks to some late wickets taken by DC bowlers, including Mitchell Starc (3/42) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/20).
In response, DC faced early struggles, losing half their side for just 65 runs. However, a heroic knock from Ashutosh Sharma, who scored a match-winning 39 off 15 balls, paired with strong contributions from Vipraj Nigam and Tristan Stubbs, helped guide DC to victory with three balls to spare. Despite early setbacks, DC managed to chase down the target, securing the win at 210/9.
Ashutosh was named the ‘Player of the Match’ for his game-changing knock.