Who is Ashok Sharma? All you need to know about the 24-year-old pace sensation
The Indian team is currently touring Zimbabwe with a young squad led by Shreyas Iyer. In this match, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Notably, Ashok Sharma received his India cap shortly before the match began—a moment confirmed by Iyer himself. Ashok Sharma made his T20I debut in the first match of the three-game series against Zimbabwe in Harare. After years of hard work in domestic cricket and impressive performances in the IPL, this right-arm medium-fast bowler has earned his maiden opportunity to play for India. Fans are curious to know who Ashok Sharma is, which state he represents, and which IPL team he has played for.
Who is Ashok Sharma?
Ashok was born on June 17, 2002, in Rajasthan. His father is a farmer. His family could afford only one son’s cricket career. Therefore, his elder brother, who also played cricket at the district level, sacrificed his dream for his younger brother.
A look at Ashok Sharma's IPL career
A major turning point in Ashok Sharma's career came when he joined Rajasthan Royals as a net bowler. Training alongside international stars honed his skills and caught the attention of coaches and scouts. His performance during training sessions drew significant praise, eventually leading the IPL franchise to show interest in him.
Ashok first grabbed headlines during the 2022 auction, where Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him for ₹55 lakh. Although he did not make his IPL debut that season, the experience of being part of an IPL dressing room proved invaluable to his development as a fast bowler.
He achieved real success over the following years in domestic cricket and the Rajasthan Premier League, where he consistently took wickets and demonstrated his ability to bowl. These performances prompted Rajasthan Royals to bring him back into their squad ahead of the 2025 season, while his consistently improving form earned him another opportunity in the IPL. Ahead of the 2026 IPL season, Gujarat Titans spent ₹90 lakh on the young fast bowler, reflecting the growing confidence in his abilities.
Ashok Sharma made his IPL debut in IPL 2026, when he received his long-awaited cap with the Gujarat Titans. He picked 6 wickets in 6 matches. He consistently troubled batters with his pace and movement. A highlight of his campaign was a thunderous delivery clocked at 154.2 kmph—one of the fastest balls of the season.
He has taken 14 wickets in first-class, 14 wickets in List A, and 28 wickets in T20 matches so far. He recently played the Tri-Nation series final for India A against Sri Lanka A, where he took 1 wicket. However, he went expensive in the match and conceded 75 runs in 9 overs.
