The Young batter Ashutosh Sharma has come a long journey in cricket after being a ball boy to become the new signing for IPL franchise Punjab Kings.
Ashutosh Sharma’s Cricketing Journey
The 25-year-old batter joined the Punjab Kings squad for INR 20 lakhs in a mini-auction in December. After the franchise’s batting camp in Mumbai, the player was seen excitedly sitting and waiting for his idol and former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar to arrive.
Sanjay Bangar who was the head of the Cricket Development of the franchise, was happy to see Ashutosh showing his 12-year-old selfie alongside his idol.
Ashutosh used to be a young ball boy while Bangar was a part of the now-defunct Kochi franchise when the selfie was taken. It has been a decade since the photo was taken.
Now, the young cricketer will have a chance to train under one of his cricketing idols after being picked by Punjab for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
“I remember my meeting with Bangar Sir. I was 10-11 years old at the time, and I asked him to advise me on my batting stance. Now, the dream is fulfilled and I am here at Punjab Kings, and will receive coaching under him” Ashutosh said.
Ashutosh comes from the city of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and began his cricketing journey at a young age. However, due to a lack of opportunities in his hometown, he moved to Indore to train at Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association’s residential academy.
“When I left home, I did not have enough money. I used to go to a camp and I started umpiring in matches to afford lunch. We were a family of limited means, and it was hard to do everything on my own so early. But I never let it affect my family about my struggles as I did not want them to worry” he recalled.
While playing in the U-19 cricket, Ashutosh took a tough path and would do all of his household chores without any help, believing it would bring discipline and remind him of the sacrifices he had made to reach the level.
“After doing so for a month, I scored a hundred,” he recalled. He also used to spend time with his friends and cooking which used to become one of his hobbies.
“My signature dish would be paneer curry and rice. I also make amazing ginger tea,” he said.
As he grew up, Ashutosh admired Naman Ojha as his childhood idol alongside Suryakumar Yadav. He had solid performances, yet he didn’t have opportunities in the Madhya Pradesh team, and then he shifted to Railways.
He smashed a half-century in 11 balls during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy clash against Arunachal Pradesh. He broke Yuvraj‘s fastest half-century record in the T20 format.
“It was one of the most memorable moments of my career, along with getting picked for Punjab Kings. Even though I was confident I would be picked, I was unable to sit in one place and completely skipped lunch,” he said.
While he was picked up by the Punjab Kings in the acceleration round after a long wait, he switched off his television immediately and celebrated.
“I stayed up with my friends till 5 AM. My phone kept ringing and eventually stopped working. Our relatives and family brought crackers and sweets.”
“The people from the town put posters all over, celebrating that a player from the area has been selected. It was a great atmosphere. I called my coach and told him that the hard work has paid off,” he recalled.
Ashutosh stated finally saying, “I want to express myself,” he said. “I have worked so hard to reach here. I will work even harder now so I can help Punjab Kings win their first trophy.”
Harshal Patel was the expensive player for PBKS in the new signings. We have also shared an article with an updated squad list of all franchises for the upcoming IPL season. Cricketing fans are also provided with the list of withdrawn players and retained players for this season.
With the IPL dates being confirmed and starting on March 22, the IPL 2024 schedule is not yet announced as the dates coincide with the local elections in India. BCCI is working on the schedule and will be announced soon.
