India’s World Cup T20 roster Latest: Ashutosh Sharma Makes Waves with Amazing Late-order Firepower, Setting Alarms for “Finishers”
A lesser-known player named Ashutosh Sharma created ripples in 2023 when he broke the record set by the legendary Yuvraj Singh for the quickest fifty by an Indian in Twenty20 cricket. It occurred during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. For the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) signed him because to his aggressive style and exceptional finishing ability. In addition to continuing to discreetly carry out his duties for his team in crucial games, he seems to be making the task of the Indian selectors more difficult just before the release of the T20 World Cup selection.
Just a few weeks before, Sharma made his IPL debut against the Gujarat Titans, replacing Arshdeep Singh and therefore earning the moniker “Impact Sub.” Along with Shashank Singh, he produced a blistering 31 off of only 17 balls to lead Punjab to an exhilarating victory by 3 wickets in their pursuit of 200.
For Punjab, he has proven to be a wonderful discovery. The Ratlam kid proved PBKS wrong by scoring 31 runs off of 16 balls against the Rajasthan Royals and 33 runs off of 15 balls against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He also showed his ability to perform well under duress.
On Thursday night at Mullanpur, the right-hand hitter leveled the score against the Mumbai Indians when his side was assigned to chase 194. At 77/6, the hosts were out of the game, but his 28-ball 61 revived Punjab’s pursuit. However, in the eighteenth over, Gerald Coetzee removed him, ending PBKS’s hopes of winning the match.
Selection of the T20 World Cup team
For the bilineal ICC tournament, which is set to begin in the West in a few weeks, the selectors have already narrowed down their field to a few finishers, and Sharma’s IPL exploits have definitely given them something to think about. In the league’s first week, players like Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, and Rinku Singh were potential contenders. However, as the competition has gone on, experienced keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik and, as of late, Sharma, seem to have entered the fray.
Sharma, a dependable power batter
It was some time before he could be considered stable in domestic cricket. And once he did, his performance demonstrated the effort he had put in behind the scenes. For example, he hit the quickest fifty in the SMAT last year against Arunachal, reaching the milestone in only 11 balls.
“I had no idea that I had broken a record. I was shocked to learn this from the scorer as I was fielding at third man. In an exclusive interview with CricketNext before to the 2024 Indian Premier League, Ashutosh Sharma said, “And when I got back to the team hotel, I saw my phone buzzing with loads of messages, and that’s when I realized the significance.”
From Hardik Pandya, praise
Hardik Pandya, captain of the Mumbai Indians, was all praise for Sharma’s achievements at the batting.
“It’s unbelievable how Ashutosh played and struck the ball right in the center. It’s excellent for his prospects. We did talk about it during the timeout—not about how we look—and we’ll continue to battle to avoid bowling the soft balls. At the post-match presentation ceremony, Pandya said, “Batsmen played good shots but we were soft in certain overs.”
