Ashok Sharma: Gujarat Titans' Fastest Rising Pace Sensation

Ashok Sharma was born in Rampura, a small village near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. He comes from humble beginnings, growing up bowling barefoot and in flip flops in the narrow bylanes of his village before formal training shaped his raw pace into a genuine cricketing weapon. His talent was sharpened at the Aravalli Cricket Academy in Jaipur, where he began working seriously on his fast bowling.

Ashok has openly credited South African fast-bowling legend Dale Steyn as his first and biggest cricketing idol, saying he studied Steyn's bowling videos and match clips obsessively to learn the aggression and rhythm of genuine fast bowling. That influence carried him from village level cricket into Rajasthan's domestic setup, into the IPL, and finally into the Indian national team in 2026.

The rise of Ashok Sharma is a story of patience, resilience, and raw pace finally finding its platform. After years of working through Rajasthan's domestic cricket structure, Ashok's breakthrough came during the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished as the tournament's leading wicket taker with 22 wickets, a performance that put him firmly on the radar of IPL franchises and, eventually, national selectors.

Known for his ability to consistently bowl between 145 and 150+ kph while extracting steep, awkward bounce, Ashok has developed into more than just a pace bowler, he has added a clever back-of-the-hand slower ball to his repertoire, which he used to dismiss Marco Jansen during IPL 2026. His run-up, measured at approximately 22.80 metres (24 yards), has remained largely consistent throughout his career as he has focused on repeatable, high-speed bowling actions.

Ashok Sharma earned his maiden international cap for India on 23 July 2026, playing the first T20I of India's three-match series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. Riding on an impressive IPL 2026 campaign with Gujarat Titans, Ashok was preferred over Yash Thakur in India's playing XI under new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, who won the toss and chose to field first.

Ashok played his part in an India pace attack that also featured Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav, alongside leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as the lone frontline spin option. In his opening spell, he conceded 10 runs in the second over of the match and was not brought back into the attack again before the end of the powerplay, a low-key first outing by his own standards, but a milestone cap nonetheless in what is likely to be a long international career given his raw pace.

Ashok Sharma's IPL journey began in 2022, when he was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for ₹55 lakh as a net bowler, though he did not get a game that season. He returned to the auction pool and was picked by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for ₹30 lakh at the 2025 mega auction, where he again spent the season on the bench without a match appearance.

His breakthrough finally came ahead of the 2026 season, when the Gujarat Titans (GT) signed him for ₹90 lakh. Given his first real opportunity, Ashok made his IPL debut with Titans and made headlines instantly, clocking the fastest delivery of the season and establishing himself as a genuine strike bowler in just his debut campaign.

Ashok Sharma's bowling speed is the defining feature of his game and the reason he has become one of the most talked about bowlers in Indian cricket in 2026. On 4 April 2026, bowling to Dhruv Jurel at the Narendra Modi Stadium against Rajasthan Royals, Ashok clocked a delivery of 154.2 kph, the fastest ball of the IPL 2026 season, surpassing Anrich Nortje's previous mark of 150.9 kph.

What separates Ashok from many raw pace bowlers is consistency, he doesn't just touch top speed on one delivery, he regularly operates in the 145-150 kph range through his spells, which has made him extremely difficult for batters to face on his day and was a key reason behind his rapid call-up to the Indian team.

Ashok Sharma's numbers reflect a fast bowler in the early, rapidly rising stage of his career, moving from domestic cricket to the IPL to full India international honours inside a single season.

Note: Ashok Sharma's statistics are current as of 25 July 2026 and will continue to be updated as he plays more matches for India and Gujarat Titans.

• Earned his maiden India T20I cap against Zimbabwe on 23 July 2026.
• Bowled the fastest delivery of the IPL 2026 season at 154.2 kph against Rajasthan Royals.
• Recognised as the third-fastest Indian bowler in IPL history.
• Leading wicket-taker of the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 22 wickets.
• Secured his breakthrough IPL contract with Gujarat Titans for ₹90 lakh ahead of the 2026 season.
• Widely recognised as one of the most promising raw pace prospects in Indian cricket.