Who is Ashok Sharma, the Rajasthan pacer brought for Rs 90 lakh by Gujarat Titans at IPL 2026 auction?

“Thank you. I’m very happy and excited. It still feels a bit unreal. Playing with such experienced players (Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj) will help me learn a lot and improve my game. No, I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t have any contact with Gujarat Titans and I didn’t attend any trials with them,” Sharma said to The Indian Express.

On working with head coach Ashish Nehra, he said, “I’m very excited to work with him. He is a senior player and has a lot of experience. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from him.”

Growing up, Ashok Sharma’s mother wanted his son to focus on academics and secure a government job. But he chose cricket, following in the footsteps of his elder brother, Akshay. Their father, Nathulal, is a farmer in Rampura village of Nagaur district in Rajasthan, and was hesitant about his kids taking up the sport, uncertain over how their future would unfold. Eventually, a decision was made that only one of them would take up cricket seriously. Akshay dropped out, and Ashok carried on.

Watching Ashok’s passion, coupled with his athleticism, convinced Nathulal to enrol him at the Aravalli Cricket Academy in Jaipur, run by former state leg-spinner Vivek Yadav. Sharma initially used to travel over an hour from his village to the academy before moving to the academy’s hostel recently in order to be able to focus better on cricket.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 📝

Brother’s sacrifice sparked it all 🤝

Inspired by Dale Steyn’s fire, follows Jasprit Bumrah’s blueprint 🔥👣

Hard lengths, yorkers & pure love for pace ⚡⚡

Ashok Sharma Ascends 📈 – By @jigsactin@IDFCFIRSTBank | #SMAT |… pic.twitter.com/OEvBc7lSlN

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 16, 2025

The 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy has predominantly belonged to the batters, with new records being created both for individuals and teams. Only a handful of bowlers have made a mark in the tournament, one of whom is Rajasthan’s Ashok Sharma. The pacer, who can touch highs of 150 kph, emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the league phase with 19 wickets in seven matches with two four-wicket hauls.

While Sharma may not have yet played in the IPL, he is not completely unfamiliar with the happenings of the tournament. He was purchased by the Rajasthan Royals at the mega auction in 2024. Sharma was also a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders setup in 2022.