IPL made him a superstar overnight! Ashok Sharma, who left farming and returned to cricket, bowled the fastest ball of the tournament.

New Delhi: It is true that there is no shortcut to success, but the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the platform where a good opportunity and a great performance can make any unknown young player an overnight star.

A similar miracle has happened with 23 year old Ashok Sharma. This fast bowler of Gujarat Titans created a sensation in the entire country by throwing the ball at a speed of 154.2 kilometers per hour in IPL 2026. This ball remains the fastest ball of this season so far.

Journey from poor village to IPL star

Ashok Sharma is a resident of Rampura village near Jaipur, Rajasthan. When his coach passed away during the pandemic, a heartbroken Ashok left the cricket academy and took up farming with his father. At that time it seemed that his cricket career was over forever, but fate had something else in store.

One day he got information about fast bowler talent hunt. Ashok reached there and surprised everyone by throwing the ball at a speed of more than 140 km/h. On the basis of this performance, Rajasthan Royals called him for trials.

Ashok did wonders in the trials – he surprised everyone by dismissing big batsmen like Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler in the same over. This is where his identity came into existence.

IPL journey

Gujarat Titans bought him for Rs 90 lakh in mini auction.
– He got IPL contract by taking 22 wickets for Rajasthan in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
– In his debut match in IPL 2026, he made South African bowler Marco Jansen his first victim.

Ashok Sharma’s story is not just an example of fast bowling, but also of not giving up, having faith in luck and making a comeback even in difficult times.