20 wickets in 9 matches, 150 kmph pace: Meet Ashok Sharma, Gujarat Titans’ new star

Ashok Sharma, the leading wicket-taker of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, earned his maiden Indian Premier League contract after Gujarat Titans snapped him up for ₹90 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old fast bowler from Rajasthan has been one of the standout performers of the domestic T20 season, claiming 20 wickets in just nine matches at an impressive average of 14.80. His consistent ability to strike at crucial moments made him one of the most talked-about uncapped pacers at the auction.

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Known for his raw pace, Ashok regularly clocks speeds close to 150 kmph and describes himself as a hard-length bowler who thrives on attacking the batter. His rise has been shaped by years of behind-the-scenes work, including stints as a net bowler with IPL franchises Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, experiences that exposed him early to elite-level batters and high-pressure environments.

A total of 359 players -- 246 Indians and 113 overseas players -- are part of the mini auction pool with the 10 franchises bidding to fill up a maximum of 77 slots, including 31 reserved for foreign players.

Prashant Veer, an all-rounder from UP, also got attention with a massive bidding war between Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, CSK, RR and SRH. It was the five-time champions CSK which persisted till last and got him for Rs 14.20 crores. He has been a solid performer for UP in SMAT, scoring 112 runs in six innings at an average of above 37 and a SR of above 170 and a best score of 40*. He also took nine wickets in seven matches at an average of around 18.

Also, all the uncapped batters, Gujarat's Aarya Desai, Delhi's Yash Dhull, Karnataka's Abhinav Manohar, Punjab's Anmolpreet Singh, Vidarbha's Atharva Taide and Goa's Abhinav Tejrana went unsold.

Amongst all-rounders, Vijay Shankar, Tanush Kotia, India's U19 WC star Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mahipal Lomror, Eden Apple Tom and Punjab's hard-hitter Sanvir Singh went unsold.

Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Shivang all-rounder went to SRH for Rs 30 lakhs, his base price