Rajasthan Royals released Ashok Sharma ahead of IPL 2026 auction.
Former Rajasthan Royals (RR) pacer Ashok Sharma has taken a sensational hat-trick in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 fixture between Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. He has been making waves just at the right time and will surely grab eyeballs ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Ashok started with a length ball on the middle stump, which Rajan Kumar heaved on the leg side but completely missed his shot. The ball went on to crash the stumps and gave the bowler his first wicket of the over.
The next delivery was slightly short and again on the middle, and the batter made room to play over the cover region, making a sweet connection. However, the ball went straight to the fielder, giving Ashok Sharma his second successive wicket.
The hat-trick ball was full and straight into the RHB, where the bowler used the depth of the crease to create an inward angle and targeted the pads. His plan worked: the ball hit the pads, and the umpire raised his finger after a brief thinking, giving the bowler a well-deserved hat-trick and a win for Rajasthan.
Ashok Sharma is among the quickest Indian pacers, someone who can bowl heavy balls and trouble batters with his slightly shorter lengths. He was with the Rajasthan Royals in the previous season, but they decided to release him despite getting him at his base price of INR 30 Lakhs.
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Several teams want a solid Indian pacer in their squads and will go after Ashok Sharma, as he has previously worked with a couple of IPL franchises and made rapid progress in recent times. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are among the prime contenders to go after him since they have let the likes of Mohammed Shami, Simarjeet Singh, and Wiaan Mulder go.
Moreover, the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) also want a few Indian speedsters in their ranks and can opt for Ashok Sharma. Teams don’t mind having a few inexperienced Indian options since they can develop them into potential match-winners for future seasons.
He is currently the leading wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, with 12 wickets at an average of 9.75 and an economy rate of 8.35 in four outings, including a four-wicket haul. Ashok Sharma couldn’t have chosen a better moment to showcase his talent, and a few more performances like this will only strengthen his case for the IPL 2026 auction.
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