Staying calm under pressure is the biggest learning from IPL: Ashutosh
The Hindu
Ashutosh Sharma, a promising cricketer, reflects on his IPL journey and looks forward to the upcoming mega auction.
It is approaching that time of the year when the fortunes of many cricketers can change in a matter of seconds at an Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. With a mega auction set to take place this time in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, a total of 1,165 Indian players, along with 409 overseas cricketers, are hoping to attract serious interest from any of the ten franchises.
Ashutosh Sharma is among that lot. Having had a breakthrough IPL 2024 for Punjab Kings after being picked at his base price of ₹20 lakh, the 26-year-old’s expectations are justified too.
Batting predominantly in the slog overs, Ashutosh’s daring and inventive strokeplay yielded recognition as he contributed 189 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 167.26. That he wasn’t retained by Punjab Kings was perhaps because Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh, also uncapped batters, were a tad more impressive.
But the middle-order batter, who moved to Railways after not getting enough opportunities for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, is not fussed about the non-retention.
“I was normal. I didn’t think much about whether I was retained or not. It is not in my hands. I couldn’t have done anything about it. If I go to Punjab again, it will be good because it gave me such a big opportunity and allowed me to express myself. Wherever I go, I will be happy as long as I just play cricket,” Ashutosh told The Hindu during a virtual interaction on Thursday.
Asked how life has changed after last season’s IPL, he responded with a wide smile: “First thing is that everyone has started identifying me. I have got to learn a lot of things. A lot of legends play in the IPL. I have learned by observing how they perform on a big stage. I used to get to bat in tough situations. The biggest lesson was how to handle those tough situations and how to stay calm and believe in yourself.”
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