Ashutosh Sharma, owner of India's fastest T20 fifty joins Hampshire for One-Day Cup

English county side Hampshire have strengthened their squad for the upcoming Metro Bank One-Day Cup by signing Indian all-rounder Ashutosh Sharma, the club confirmed on Monday. The 27-year-old, who represents Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will join Hampshire for the duration of the 50-over competition. Delhi Capitals are co-owned by GMR Group, which also owns Hampshire, making the move a natural fit.

Ashutosh has earned a reputation as an explosive middle-order batter in the IPL. Across the last two seasons, he has accumulated more than 375 runs for Delhi Capitals while maintaining an impressive strike rate of 170 and an average of 31.25.

The hard-hitting batter also holds a remarkable domestic record. During the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he blasted a half-century in just 11 deliveries for Railways against Arunachal Pradesh, setting the record for the fastest T20 fifty by an Indian.

Welcoming the signing, Hampshire’s Director of Cricket Giles White expressed confidence in the Indian’s abilities.

“We’re delighted to bring Ashutosh to Hampshire for the One-Day Cup. He’s a talented cricketer who has shown his quality in the IPL with Delhi Capitals and understands what it takes to perform at a high level. We’re excited to have him in our squad and hope he can help us go one better in this year’s competition,” White said.

Ashutosh has also built a solid domestic record in List A cricket, scoring 458 runs in 21 matches. He made his domestic debut for Madhya Pradesh in 2017 before moving to Railways, where he currently plays. Across all formats, he has featured in 91 domestic matches.

In IPL, Ashutosh was first picked up by Punjab Kings. He made his league debut as an Impact Substitute and smacked 31 off 17 balls, before being signed by Delhi Capitals for INR 3.80 crore ahead of IPL 2025.