NEW DELHI: Ashutosh Sharma, an uncapped batter for the Punjab Kings, received a ton of plaudits from former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh for his heroic performance against the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
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Ashutosh gave hope for an extraordinary comeback with some excellent stroke play after PBKS were down and dusted.
Ashutosh hit MI's star speedster Jasprit Bumrah with a sweep shot in the 13th over, sending the ball sailing into the stands.
His shots resonated with the likes of South Africa's 'Mr 360 Degree' Ab de Villiers and India's dynamic batter, Suryakumar Yadav.
"He plays like Suryakumar Yadav and it is not easy to hit Bumrah for boundaries the way he does. MI won the game but Ashustosh won hearts," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Before making a name for himself in the current IPL, Ashutosh had to overcome many obstacles in his life.
Rewinding the clock, Harbhajan recalled the moment the 25-year-old was benched by a Madhya Pradesh coach, which caused Ashutosh to fall into a deep despair.
"Ashutosh was rejected by Madhya Pradesh, he played a top knock and it is said that he was in depression. He got a job in the Railways and the best thing that happened was he played for them and struck a half-century in 11 balls. This is a record and it shows the potential of the Ashutosh. Ashutosh has said it on record about the trouble that was caused by the coach," Harbhajan added.
The 25-year-old got PBKS close in the elusive chase, with three towering sixes off Akash Madhwal in the 16th over, bringing down the equation to 27 runs in 24 balls.
Ashutosh was caught off guard by a slower delivery from Gerald Coetzee in the 18th over. He ended the game with a score of 61 off 28 deliveries as PBKS suffered a nine-run defeat.
(With ANI inputs)
1/10:Mumbai Indians clinch nail-biter to beat Punjab Kings
PTI
2/10:Mumbai Indians beat Punjab Kings
<p>Mumbai Indians managed to fend off a valiant effort by Punjab Kings' Ashutosh Sharma to win by nine runs in a fiercely fought IPL thriller on Thursday. </p>PTI
3/10:Suryakumar Yadav
<p>Mumbai Indians lost only two wickets in the first 12 overs, Suryakumar Yadav went on to smash 78 runs off 53 balls to help the team post a solid 192-7. </p>PTI
4/10:Japsrit Bumrah
<p>Punjab Kings started on a disastrous note, with Gerald Coetzee and Japsrit Bumrah striking early to leave them reeling at 14-3 at the end of the second over. </p>AFP
5/10:Ashutosh Sharma
<p>Ashutosh Sharma rebuilt the innings with 61 runs off 28 balls, aided ably by Shashank Singh (41) and Harpreet Brar (21), but it was ultimately not enough. </p>PTI
6/10:Ishan Kishan
<p>Mumbai openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma put up a brisk start before Kishan fell in the third over leaving the team at 18-1. </p>PTI
7/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>Rohit Sharma, who scored a 25-ball 36, built another partnership with Suryakumar Yadav before falling in the 12th over. </p>AFP
8/10:SKY
<p>Suryakumar Yadav went on to smash 78 runs off 53 balls before being dismissed in the 17th over. </p>PTI
9/10:Tilak Varma
<p>Tilak Varma hit a 18-ball 34, and cameos from Hardik Pandya (10) and Tim David (14), Mumbai wrapped up at 192-7. </p>AP
