Uncapped fast bowler Ashok Sharma made his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans in the 2026 season opener against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first.
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Gujarat Titans handed debuts to Ashok Sharma and Glenn Phillips and left out Jason Holder. Phillips, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan formed their overseas combination. Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said the scores were comfortably leveled in the practice matches. Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill said the pitch was under cover for the last few days but looked good for batting.
WHO IS ASHOK SHARMA?
Ashok, 23, was bought by Gujarat Titans for Rs 90 lakh in the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi after a strong domestic season with Rajasthan.
Now in his first season of senior cricket, he has been central to Rajasthan’s run in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Ashok leads the wicket charts with 19 scalps in the group stage at an average of 12.10 and an economy rate of 8.84. He took 20 wickets in nine matches at an average of 14.80.
Ashok made an immediate impact in domestic T20 cricket. In his first professional T20 match, he dismissed three Tamil Nadu batsmen and followed it up with two wickets against Tripura. He returned figures of 3 for 43 against Karnataka. He then picked up four wickets against Uttarakhand and Saurashtra before taking two wickets against Delhi in Rajasthan’s sixth group match.
A right-arm fast bowler who can reach speeds of 150 kmph, Ashok describes himself as a heavy length bowler. He was earlier a net bowler with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.
He was part of the Rajasthan Royals squad in IPL 2025 after being signed for Rs 30 lakh, but did not feature in any of their 14 matches.
His recent performances have earned him trials with several IPL franchises, including defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Speaking about the youngster, Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra said, “At the same time, we recognize Ashok as an exciting raw talent. We have seen enough over the last few weeks to believe he can become a key part of our bowling unit this season. As a coaching group, we see this as both a challenge and an opportunity to bring out the best at both ends of the experience spectrum and create a strong, balanced attack.”
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
31 March 2026 19:23 IST
