Delhi Capitals’ Ashutosh Sharma has joined England’s County Club, Hampshire, for the ongoing One-Day Cup. The all-rounder, who plays as a finisher for DC in the Indian Premier League, will be featuring for the club throughout the tournament. Interestingly, the GMR Group co-owns both DC and Hampshire. Ashutosh, who is known for his aggressive batting, has been identified by Hampshire as a “player of great potential.”
Ashutosh Sharma joins Hampshire County for One-Day Cup
Hampshire announced on 20th June that they have signed Ashutosh Sharma for the entirety of the One-Day Cup. The all-rounder, who is still an uncapped player at the international level, has risen to prominence while playing in the IPL. The 27-year-old debuted in the IPL in 2024, playing for Punjab Kings. In the last two seasons, he has played for Delhi Capitals in the grand league.
Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White, while speaking about the new signing, said, “We’re really pleased to sign Ashutosh for the One-Day Cup. He is a player of great potential and has done well for Delhi Capitals in the IPL recently, so he knows what it’s like to perform to a high standard. We look forward to welcoming him into the group and seeing what he can do in a Hampshire shirt as we look to go one step further than last year in the competition.”
In 26 innings, Ashutosh has scored 564 runs at a strike rate of almost 170 while playing in the IPL; this includes hitting a couple of half-centuries.
Ashutosh Sharma in List A cricket
Despite his IPL exploits, it is his performance in List A cricket that would drive his case to be selected in the playing XI for Hampshire. He has played 21 games in the format, scoring 458 runs. While Sharma has a strike rate of 131.6 in the format, his average of only 24.10 might make it difficult for him to make the playing XI.
With the ball in hand, Ashutosh has been trusted as a part-time bowler whenever given a chance. Having bowled in a total of only five innings, the 27-year-old has done well enough to send down 22 overs in List-A cricket. He has two wickets next to his name, while going at an economy of 6.27.
Ashutosh Sharma in Madhya Pradesh League T20
Ashutosh Sharma was recently seen playing in the Madhya Pradesh League T20 for Malwa Stallions. The DC all-rounder scored 165 runs in the tournament across nine innings, striking at a rate of 152. Meanwhile, with the ball in hand, Sharma picked up seven wickets from eight innings, but remained pretty expensive with an economy of 9.28 runs per over.
Hampshire to kick off One-Day Cup campaign against Yorkshire
Hampshire, placed in Group B of the One-Day Cup, will be kicking off its campaign against Yorkshire. While it is yet to be seen whether Ashutosh will feature for the Club or not, the South East-based team would be aiming for a better finish than its runner-up position from the previous year.
