Uncapped fast bowler Ashok Sharma made his IPL debut for the Gujarat Titans in their 2026 season opener against the Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday, after the hosts won the toss and opted to bowl first.

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Gujarat Titans handed debuts to Ashok Sharma and Glenn Phillips, leaving out Jason Holder. Phillips, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan formed their overseas combination. Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said scores had been chased down comfortably in practice matches. Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill said the pitch had been under cover for the past couple of days but looked good for batting.

WHO IS ASHOK SHARMA?

Ashok, 23, was bought by the Gujarat Titans for Rs 90 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi after a strong domestic season with Rajasthan.

Now in his maiden 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. Across nine matches, he has taken 20 wickets at an average of 14.80.

Ashok made an immediate impact in domestic T20 cricket. He dismissed three Tamil Nadu batters in his first professional T20 match and followed it up with two wickets against Tripura. Against Karnataka, he returned figures of 3 for 43. He then picked up back-to-back four-wicket hauls against Uttarakhand and Saurashtra, before claiming two wickets against Delhi in Rajasthan’s sixth group game.

A right-arm fast bowler who can touch 150 kmph, Ashok describes himself as a hard-length bowler. He has previously been 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 earned him trials with multiple 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. Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen enough to believe he can become a key part of our bowling unit this season. As a coaching group, we see it as both a challenge and an opportunity to bring out the best in both ends of the experience spectrum and create a strong, balanced attack.”

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