NEW DELHI: Ashutosh Sharma is no longer just a prospect. In the Vizag heat on Monday, Sharma, clad in the navy blue of Delhi Capitals, stood tall amid a crumbling chase, his bat swinging through chaos and triumph. That’s when, you could say, he became a force.
With an unbeaten 66 off 31 balls, he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Lucknow Super Giants, turning a near-certain loss into a thrilling one-wicket victory — a win that will echo through Indian Premier League (IPL) lore.
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It wasn’t just a match-winning knock. It was a statement. “He’s got confidence, raw power and the ability to impact games in minutes,” gushed DC mentor Kevin Pietersen after the match.
Sharma made his IPL debut with the Punjab Kings last season and was picked by Delhi at the mega auction for Rs 3.8 crore. The investment looks like a steal.
Last season, he made his name as an Impact Player, and along with Shashank Singh he helped Punjab pull off a couple of wins while chasing. Then there were some games where he offered glimpses of his talent – a 31 off 17 balls against Gujarat Titans, a 61 off 28 balls against Mumbai Indians — but those knocks ended in heartbreak with Punjab falling short.
“I learned from last year. Missed out on finishing the game on a couple of occasions in the previous season. The whole year I focused and visualised it. Had the belief that if I play till the last over, anything can happen,” Ashutosh reflected after the Lucknow game on Monday.
“Last year was really good, but that’s history for me. I have taken the positives from there and worked on myself to improve whatever weaknesses I had. I’m applying here what I did in domestic cricket,” he added.
Against Lucknow, Sharma’s finishing ability shone through. From 113/6 in the 13th over, needing 97 off 45, he paced his innings masterfully. He absorbed pressure early, then exploded when it mattered. His 47 runs off the last 12 balls he faced being a testament to his nerve.
When Kuldeep Yadav was run out in the penultimate over, leaving Delhi with one wicket, Ashutosh didn’t flinch. A six and a four off Prince Yadav brought the equation to six off six, and he closed it out with flair. It was Dhoni-esque – calm amid chaos and lethal when unleashed.
Delhi captain Axar Patel couldn’t hide his awe. “The way he turned it around, it’s something special,” he said. “We were down and out, but Ashutosh made it happen.”
His ability to read the game, rotate strike with tailenders and pick his moments for aggression marks him as a rare talent, a finisher who thrives when the odds are stacked against him. Sharma’s quick-scoring ability is his calling card.
In T20s, his career strike-rate hovers around a staggering 184.50. He has to his credit the fastest fifty in T20 cricket by an Indian — an 11-ball effort against Arunachal Pradesh at the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.
“I think about the shots I’ve practiced. If I connect one or two, I keep going,” Sharma underlined his mantra on Monday.
From not being allowed on the cricket ground by a current IPL team coach once in his career to now being the hero of IPL 2025’s most dramatic run chase, Sharma has come a long way.
Having battled depression at a young age when his career was at a crossroads, Sharma can now embark on a career to become the next big ‘chasemaster’.
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