Visakhapatnam, Mar 24 (PTI): Impact sub Ashutosh Sharma played the most defining knock of his IPL career to guide Delhi Capitals to a thrilling one wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants here on Monday.
Ashutosh smashed 66 not out off 31 balls and finished it with a huge six off Shahbaz Ahmed as DC chased down a target of 210 with three balls to spare. The right-hander hit five fours and five sixes in all.
DC were 7 for 3 at one stage and then 113 for 6 but Ashutosh and unheralded Vipraj Nigam (39 off 15 balls) added 55 runs in quick time before the Railways man finished it off in style despite wickets falling at the other end.
LSG were 20 short during batting and paid the price for not having any of their frontline pacers on the park due to injury. It didn't help that Ravi Bishnoi was hit for 53 runs.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals bowlers did well at the back-end to restrict Lucknow Super Giants to 209 for 8 on a batting paradise, despite attractive fifties from Mitchell Marsh (72) and Nicholas Pooran (75).
Kuldeep Yadav was easily the most impactful bowler with figures of 2 for 20 while Mitchell Starc used his variations to end with best figures 3 for 42 in four overs.
Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants: 209 for 8 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 75, Mitchell Marsh 72; Kuldeep Yadav 2/20, Mitchell Starc 3/42).
Delhi Capitals: 211 for 9 in 19.3 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 66 not out; Shardul Thakur 2/19).
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Mumbai, Mar 29 (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday demanded Central protection for comedian Kunal Kamra, facing flak and investigation over his jibe against Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, on the similar lines it had protected actor Kangana Ranaut in 2020.
Multiple FIRs were registered against Kamra for his "traitor" jibe at Shiv Sena head and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde during a show, leading to the ransacking of a studio by Shiv Sena workers last Sunday.
On Friday, the Madras High Court granted interim anticipatory bail to Kamra, against whom Mumbai Police had issued two notices seeking his personal appearance for questioning.
Raut also welcomed the Supreme Court order on quashing an FIR against Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi for allegedly posting a clip of a poem advocating the protection of freedom of speech and expression.
He said like Pratapgarhi, Kamra is also an artist, poet, and satirist.
"Kamra should come to Mumbai to put forth his point (before the police). The Centre protected Kangana Ranaut (fearing) that we would attack her. I demand that Kunal Kamra also get a special protection," Raut told reporters.
In 2020, a portion of Ranaut's bungalow in Bandra was demolished by the Mumbai civic body for alleged alterations when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister, triggering an outrage and verbal spat between the actor and Sena leaders.
The Centre subsequently extended protection to Ranaut, currently a BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday justified the summons issued to the stand-up comedian, asserting that it should be done if it is required by the law of the land.
Speaking at the Times Now Summit in New Delhi, Vaishnaw said, “If the law of the land requires it, it should be done,” when asked if summoning of Kamra by the police was “too extreme” an action.
Vaishnaw said while the Constitution granted citizens certain rights, they were accompanied by some safeguards.