Ashutosh Sharma Shines with Century on Club Cricket Debut in England

Impressive Debut Performance

London [UK], June 1: Ashutosh Sharma, a batter for Delhi Capitals (DC), made a remarkable entrance into club cricket in England, scoring a century off 70 balls for Wigan Cricket Club.

In a match held on Saturday against Formby CC as part of the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition, Ashutosh debuted under the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Premier League framework.

Coming in to bat at a precarious 17/3 in 9.5 overs, he formed a solid partnership of 153 runs with opening batsman Aveen Dalugod. Ashutosh reached his century in just 73 balls, hitting eight fours and six sixes, achieving a strike rate of 136.99, according to Wisden.

However, his dismissal triggered a batting collapse, with Wigan slipping from 170/3 to 195/7 after 41 overs.

Arriving in the UK early Saturday morning, Ashutosh gained recognition for his explosive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last season with Punjab Kings (PBKS), where he amassed 189 runs in nine innings, including a fifty at a strike rate of 167.25. This season, after joining DC, he scored 204 runs in nine innings at an average of 29.14 and a strike rate of 160.62, featuring another fifty in a thrilling match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Despite his efforts, DC did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing fifth with seven wins, six losses, and one no result.

Although Ashutosh has yet to secure a century in professional white-ball cricket, he has accumulated 297 runs in 14 List A matches at an average of 22.84, with a top score of 75 and one fifty. In 44 T20 matches, he has scored 976 runs in 37 innings, averaging 32.53 with a strike rate of 177.45, including eight half-centuries, with a best score of 84.