NEW DELHI: Before his brilliance in the ongoing IPL, Ashutosh Sharma was best known for breaking Yuvraj Singh's long-standing record of hitting the fastest fifty in T20 cricket by an Indian. Representing Railways, Sharma blazed to an 11-ball half-century against Arunachal Pradesh at the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament – a ball less than Yuvraj's unforgettable 12-ball fifty against England at the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Despite his record-breaking feat last year, Sharma's moment in the sun came with back-to-back lion-hearted knocks for Punjab Kings in the IPL. The first one (31 off 17b) resulted in a thrilling victory for Punjab against Gujarat Titans, while the second (33* off 15b) nearly got his team home against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Ashutosh was born in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh; he played age-group cricket for his home state and then went on to play List A as well as T20s for MP.
The streets of Ratlam couldn't give wings to Ashutosh's cricketing dreams so he moved to Indore. "I left Ratlam as an 8-year-old and moved to Indore for cricket coaching," Ashutosh told TOI during an interaction.
The shift to Indore also brought some harsh realities with it. "Khaane ko paise nahi hote the (I didn't have money to sustain myself). I didn't know where the next meal would come from. I was just 10 (years) at that time. It was a small, very small room where I lived.
"I then picked up umpiring to earn some money, I also washed clothes to make ends meet," the 25-year-old batting allrounder said.
1/9:Punjab Kings suffer narrow loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad
<p>Punjab Kings suffer narrow loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad</p>AFP
2/9:Young Nitish Reddy's Heroic Innings
<p>Young Nitish Reddy showcased remarkable character with a 37-ball 64, guiding Sunrisers Hyderabad to a thrilling two-run victory over Punjab Kings in a see-sawing IPL encounter.</p>AFP
3/9:SRH's Recovery
<p>Sent in to bat, Reddy's explosive knock rescued SRH from a precarious position of 66 for four in the 10th over, propelling them to a competitive total of 182/9.</p>AFP
4/9:PBKS Fight Back
<p>Punjab Kings fought valiantly in their chase, with Shashank Singh (46*) and Ashutosh Sharma (33*) forging a crucial 66-run partnership, keeping their hopes alive till the very end.</p>AFP
5/9:Last Over Drama
<p>Despite needing 29 runs in the final over, SRH's victory was far from assured as Shashank and Ashutosh mounted a daring challenge, coming within touching distance of an improbable win.</p>AFP
6/9:Reddy's Explosive Batting
<p>Hailing from Visakhapatnam, Reddy's innings was studded with five sixes and four fours, anchoring SRH's innings with his aggressive strokeplay.</p>AFP
7/9:Arshdeep Singh's Brilliance
<p>Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh starred with the ball for PBKS, claiming impressive figures of 4/29, yet SRH managed to post a formidable total against all odds.</p>AFP
8/9:Dhawan's Captaincy
<p>Despite early setbacks in decision making, PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan led from the front, concocting the plans for key dismissals and marshalling his troops effectively in the field.</p>AFP
9/9:SRH's Defensive Effort
<p>SRH's bowlers held their nerve in the face of PBKS's late surge, ultimately clinching victory in a nail-biting finish, thanks to Reddy's heroic performance and collective team effort.</p>AFPIf there is anyone who makes Ashutosh emotional it is his childhood coach Amay Khurasiya, the former India left-hander, who has seen him at the MPCA Academy since the age of 12.
"Amay sir helped me a lot at the MPCA Academy, he has known me since childhood. He taught me to be disciplined. Batting wise, he is a great coach. I got a lot of tips on mental health from him. I was working with him even before the IPL. I speak to him before every game," Ashutosh said.
At present, he is the toast of Punjab and its fans, but four years back all was not hunky dory for the hard-hitting batsman. Ashutosh fell out of favour with India's most-celebrated domestic coach Chandrakant Pandit, who had taken over as MP head coach in 2020.
"In 2019, I scored 84 in the final T20 game for MP in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The next year we had a professional coach come to the MP set up. He had his likes and dislikes. He didn't like me and that was pretty clear," Ashutosh said, revealing the toughest phase of his cricket life without mentioning Pandit's name.
"I scored 90 off 45 balls in a trial match for selection in the MP team. In the evening, I found out that I was not in the team for the 2020 Mushtaq Ali tournament. I was dropped from the team. It was heartbreaking and quite depressing for me.
"In the Mushtaq Ali the season before, I played six games and scored three half-centuries. But still the professional coach made me sit out. It was Covid times, and 20 players used to travel, but I was not allowed to go to the ground as well. I used to stay in the hotel… go to the gym and come back to the hotel room. I was totally depressed at that time.
"Nobody told me what my fault was, I kept thinking what my mistake was, why I was thrown away from the set up. I was sinking into depression. Those two-three years of my life were hell. I was so much in depression that I couldn't sleep. Night after night, I would be awake and keep thinking what's happening to me."
A job in the Railways came as a beacon of hope for the youngster.
"Despite those harrowing times, I didn't leave my practice. Luckily, I got a job in the Railways. It was a God-sent opportunity for me. Railways supported me a lot. Last year, I got a chance in the T20s and I did well in the Mushtaq Ali tournament for Railways," Ashutosh said. "It was tough to come out of that difficult phase, but I had belief that I would be able to do it."
