An 11-ball fifty, the fastest by an Indian in T20s, against Arunachal Pradesh in 2023 landed the spotlight on Ashutosh Sharma. Born in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, Sharma started his career playing for Madhya Pradesh and made his T20 debut in 2018 and his List-A debut the following year. He subsequently moved to Railways and made his first-class debut in 2024. Impressed by his ball-striking abilities, Punjab Kings offered him 20 lakhs at the 2024 auction and then Sharma wrote his own script. He played some handy cameos and helped the side at crucial junctures. He scored 189 runs from 9 games at a strike-rate of 167.25. Sharma’s antics saw his stocks rise substantially in the following year as Delhi Capitals acquired his services for Rs. 3.8 Cr in 2025.
