{"id":22891,"date":"2025-12-16T17:26:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/?p=672011"},"modified":"2025-12-16T17:26:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:56:01","slug":"who-is-ashok-sharma-uncapped-rajasthan-pacer-sold-to-gujarat-titans-for-rs-90-lakh-at-ipl-2026-auction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/cricket\/ipl\/who-is-ashok-sharma-uncapped-rajasthan-pacer-sold-to-gujarat-titans-for-rs-90-lakh-at-ipl-2026-auction\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Ashok Sharma? Uncapped Rajasthan pacer sold to Gujarat Titans for Rs 90 lakh at IPL 2026 auction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ashok Sharma is a right-arm fast bowler from Rajasthan<\/strong> who has quietly built a strong reputation in India\u2019s domestic circuit and finally earned an IPL deal at the IPL 2026 mini-auction<\/strong>. After initially going unsold, Gujarat Titans (GT) secured Ashok Sharma for Rs 90 lakh<\/strong>, making him GT\u2019s first purchase of the IPL 2026 auction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A long wait before an IPL breakthrough<\/h3>\n

Ashok Sharma entered the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a base price of Rs 30 lakh<\/strong> but received no bids in the early rounds. However, franchises continued to track his name closely due to his recent domestic performances. Gujarat Titans eventually stepped in and added him to their squad for Rs 90 lakh<\/strong>, backing his raw pace and wicket-taking ability.<\/p>\n

This marks Ashok Sharma\u2019s maiden IPL contract<\/strong>, ending years of being on the fringes of IPL squads.<\/p>\n

Previous IPL associations<\/h3>\n

Although Ashok has never played an IPL match before, he is not entirely new to the league environment.<\/p>\n

He has previously been associated with:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)<\/strong> \u2013 as a net bowler and extended squad member<\/li>\n
  • Rajasthan Royals (RR)<\/strong> \u2013 part of the setup before being released ahead of IPL 2025<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Despite spending time around IPL camps, he never received a game, making the GT signing his first real opportunity to feature in the tournament.<\/p>\n

    Domestic form that caught attention<\/h3>\n

    Ashok Sharma\u2019s selection is firmly backed by his standout performances in domestic cricket<\/strong>, especially in the shortest format.<\/p>\n

    In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025\u201326<\/strong>, India\u2019s premier domestic T20 competition, Ashok emerged as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament<\/strong>, claiming 20 wickets in 9 matches<\/strong>. His ability to strike regularly, even on batting-friendly surfaces, made him one of the most talked-about uncapped pacers of the season.<\/p>\n

    Raw pace and attacking skillset<\/h3>\n

    One of Ashok Sharma\u2019s biggest strengths is genuine pace<\/strong>. He is known to consistently bowl above 140 km\/h<\/strong>, a rare asset in Indian domestic cricket. Along with speed, he relies on:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Hard lengths<\/li>\n
    • New-ball aggression<\/li>\n
    • Ability to rush batters with bounce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      This combination makes him a natural fit for teams looking to develop Indian fast-bowling depth.<\/p>\n

      Why Gujarat Titans moved for him<\/h3>\n

      Gujarat Titans have built a reputation for identifying and nurturing uncapped Indian talent<\/strong>, particularly fast bowlers. Ashok Sharma fits that template perfectly.<\/p>\n

      By signing him for Rs 90 lakh<\/strong>, GT have made a low-risk, high-upside investment<\/strong> in a bowler who:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Is fresh from a tournament-leading T20 season<\/li>\n
      • Brings genuine pace to the squad<\/li>\n
      • Can be groomed as a long-term Indian fast-bowling option<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        What lies ahead<\/h3>\n

        While Ashok Sharma may not be an automatic starter in IPL 2026, his signing puts him firmly on the radar. With strong domestic momentum and the backing of Gujarat Titans\u2019 management, IPL 2026 could mark the beginning of his journey at the highest T20 level.<\/p>\n

        For now, Ashok Sharma stands out as one of the most interesting uncapped Indian pacers<\/strong> to finally get his IPL opportunity after years of waiting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Ashok Sharma is a right-arm fast bowler from Rajasthan who has quietly built a strong reputation in India\u2019s domestic circuit\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":250,"featured_media":43072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"reading_time":"3 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/250"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}