NEWS
Follow UsBefore April 4 (Thursday), not many would have known who Ashutosh Sharma was. Six months ago, he was in the news for breaking Yuvraj Singh’s (then) record of scoring the fastest T20 fifty, and after that, we saw him rip the Gujarat Titans (GT) bowlers apart in Ahmedabad, stringing together a match-winning partnership with Shashank Singh to help Punjab Kings (PBKS) chase down 200.
However, what many don’t know about the 25-year-old is the struggle behind his success. He was bought for INR 20 lakh at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction, and that price now seems more than worth it given that he has taken PBKS over the line in a chase of 200. The expectation will be even higher going forward.
But there was a period when things did not go his way. The batter, in his own words, slipped into depression after he was not being picked for Madhya Pradesh post the introduction of a new ‘professional coach,’ which forced him to move to Railways. For about 3-4 years, Ashutosh did not play a single competitive game as a result.
“In 2019, I scored 84 in my last game for Madhya Pradesh in T20. Next year, a professional coach came in, and he had likes and dislikes. He didn't like me,” Ashutosh said in a media interaction.
“In the selection match, I also scored a 45-ball 90, and in the evening, when the team for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was announced, I was not in it.
“I went into depression from there. I performed so well last year. In the Under-23 we made the final, I scored two hundreds in four matches - against Tamil Nadu and Delhi. In the SMAT, I played six games, I scored three half-centuries.
“But next year, the coach came, he just kept me sidelined. It was COVID time so, only 20 people used to go to the ground. I stayed in the hotel for 1-2 months and went into depression that I am not getting a chance to even go to the ground. All I did was gymming and then going back to the room. I was very disturbed at that period, and I went into depression.
“I didn't understand what wrong I had done, and nobody told me. I was out of the set-up completely. But I never quit practice. I practiced for 2-3 hours.
"That year, we played the Col. CK Nayudu final. I got a job in the Railways after that. Railways has supported me a lot. They played me in a U-25 tournament, then gave me a chance in T20s, and I did well. This 2-3 year period was very bad for me. I couldn't even sleep properly at night, thinking about what was happening. Emerging out of it was tough, but I had belief that I could do it.”
During this tough period, he never gave up on his abilities, and his coach Amay Khurasiya played a massive role in keeping him motivated.
“Amay sir has played an important role in my career. He has taught me to be disciplined, he teaches me things pertaining to mental health. He is a 'master' batting coach,” Ashutosh, who made his IPL debut on Thursday, said.
“I was working with him even before the IPL. I have worked with him on my batting. Ahead of the match, I spoke to him. He said he was confident that I would make it count whenever I get a chance.”
Ashutosh Sharma’s relationship with Sanjay Bangar goes way back when the latter was part of Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) and sought advice on his batting. Bangar, who is the Head of Cricket at PBKS now, continues to work with Ashutosh, playing a role in further improving his skills.
“During pre-season, Sanjay sir told me you are not a slogger. You play some extraordinary cricketing shots, so believe in it. I was practising timing the ball, and I was just focusing on that. He gave me a lot of confidence, saying that you play good cricketing shots, you aren't a slogger. So, there's no need to hit blindly, you can get boundaries by timing the ball. That helped me a lot,” Ashutosh, who played in the Kent Cricket League in England for a couple of seasons, said.
How different would Ashutosh’s career have been if those 2-3 years had not been lost? That's anybody's guess but, for now, PBKS would certainly be glad that Ashutosh showed resistance and pulled through.
