IPL’s new speed gun hero! Gujarat Titans' Dale Steyn fanboy turns heads, clocks season’s fastest ball at 154.2 kph

Ashok Sharma finished with figures of 1 for 37 from his four overs, dismissing West Indies power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer.

Playing only the second IPL game of his career, Ashok Sharma turned heads with a thunderbolt during Gujarat Titans’ clash against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The right-arm pacer clocked 154.2 kph, the fastest delivery of IPL 2026 so far. Ashok finished with figures of 1 for 37 from his four overs, dismissing West Indies power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer.

Gujarat Titans' Ashok Sharma bowls a delivery during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals (AP)

The 154.2 kph delivery topped Anrich Nortje's 151.6 kph, and is also the fastest delivery in the last two IPL seasons. Overall, the delivery saw Ashok enter the top 10 list for the fastest-ever deliveries in IPL history, standing tied at the ninth spot with Kagiso Rabada.

Who is IPL’s new pace gun hero?

Gujarat isn’t Ashok’s first IPL franchise. A few years ago, he served as a net bowler for Rajasthan before earning his maiden IPL contract with Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 55 lakh. However, he did not get a game for the three-time champions and later returned to Rajasthan Royals, who signed him for INR 30 lakh at the 2025 mega auction.

A die-hard fan of South Africa pace legend Dale Steyn, Ashok finally made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings on March 31 in Mullanpur. He picked up the wicket of Marco Jansen and impressed skipper Shubman Gill.

The right-armer consistently clocked speeds in the 140–145 kph range while also mixing in slower deliveries. Although he conceded 26 runs in his first two overs, he bounced back strongly at the death, delivering an impressive 18th over that went for just five runs, including Jansen’s wicket.

“He bowled pretty well up front and I think at the back,” Gill said after the match. “He’s definitely someone who, with more matches and experience, will be very valuable for us.”

Gujarat identified Ashok as a promising talent following his strong domestic season for Rajasthan. The 23-year-old picked up 14 wickets in four first-class matches, along with 13 wickets in seven List A games and 24 wickets in 12 T20 matches.

‘Repaying brother’s sacrifice’

In an interview with Sportstar last November, after a standout performance against Mumbai, where he picked up three key wickets, including Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad, an emotional Ashok spoke about his brother’s sacrifice.

“My elder brother, Akshay, played at the district level, but he sacrificed his career for me. My father is a farmer. When I was in Class 10, my father said only one of us could pursue cricket as they couldn’t afford both. So my brother gave it up,” Ashok said. “Had it not been for him, I wouldn’t have come this far.”