23-year-old express pacer Ashok Sharma, who clocked 154.2 kmph in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, has made domestic cricket move from Rajasthan to Gujarat. Made his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans (GT), Ashok will represent Gujarat in the next domestic cricket season.
Ashok's departure has depleted Rajasthan's pace attack. Khaleel Ahmed got injured during the IPL 2026. Aniket Chaudhary is in the twilight period of his career which leaves as Deepak Chahar as the other prominent pace option.
ALSO READ: Neeraj Chopra's comeback confirmed, set to return for this Diamond League event after long absence
“For better opportunities I decided to move to Gujarat,” Ashok told TOI.
ALSO READ: Vipraj Nigam turns rescue man with 51 but costs India A 10 penalty runs for violating this rule
The young pacer has been granted No Objection Certificate (NOC) by Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).
Ashok’s impact in previous domestic cricket season
In the previous season, Ashok played four first-class, seven List A and 10 T20s. With the red ball, he claimed 14 wickets, averaging nearly 30. In Vijay Hazare Trophy, he bagged 13 wickets, averaging just over 30. He was their highest wicket-taker in the tournament, ahead of left-arm spinner Manav Suthar. in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26, he was the joint-highest wicket-taker. From 10 games, he bagged 22 wickets at an average of 15.63.
Ashok’s maiden IPL season
Ashok made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings (PBKS) where his solitary wicket was Marco Jansen. He was dropped after a wicketless outing against Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 20. He did not play a single match after that. Prasidh Krishna was preferred over him. Even in the Qualifier 1 clash, Kulwant Khejroliya played ahead of Ashok. His best bowling numbers came against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He took wickets of Abdul Samad and George Linde, conceding 32 runs from four overs.
Ashok was roped in by GT for Rs 90 lakh in the IPL 2026 mini-auction following a successful SMAT season.
Another pacer moves from Haryana
Not just Ashok but Ganesh Suthar has moved from Rajasthan to Haryana. With 37 wickets in eight appearances, he was the sixth-highest wicket-taker in the CK Nayudu Trophy 2025-26. He has got the NOC from RCA as well.