Ashutosh Sharma lands in England at 7:30 AM, then smashes 70-ball ton after walking in at 17/3 in sensational club debut

Just hours after landing in the UK, India’s rising T20 talent Ashutosh Sharma gave Wigan Cricket Club an unforgettable welcome gift: a debut century that provided the side with a much-needed recovery after a top-order collapse in the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition, part of the ECB Premier League structure. Delhi Capitals' Ashutosh Sharma playing in the 2025 Indian Premier League(AFP)

Signed recently by Wigan for the 2025 season, Ashutosh made an instant mark in his first outing against Formby CC, walking out to bat at No.5 with his team tottering at 17-3 in 9.5 overs. From there, he orchestrated a stunning counterattack. Teaming up with opener Aveen Dalugod, Ashutosh built a match-defining 153-run partnership that rescued Wigan from early disaster.

His innings was a showcase of controlled aggression and composure under pressure. Ashutosh struck eight boundaries and cleared the ropes six times, finishing with a strike rate of 136.99. He brought up his hundred off just 70 deliveries.

However, his dismissal in the 34th over triggered another collapse. Wigan slipped from 170-3 to 195-7 in the span of seven overs, with Ashutosh’s exit marking a turning point once again, this time for the worse.

Remarkably, Ashutosh’s performance came on the same day he arrived in the UK. He landed at 7:30 AM, and took part in the match hours later.

Ashutosh with DC

The 25-year-old had just wrapped up his IPL 2025 campaign with Delhi Capitals, having scored 204 runs at an average of 29.14 and a strike rate of 160.62. Delhi’s failure to make the playoffs opened the door for this club stint in England, and Ashutosh wasted no time in grabbing the opportunity.

He had previously made waves in the 2024 IPL season with Punjab Kings, hammering 189 runs at a strike rate of 167.25. Delhi acquired him in the 2025 auction, and his explosive batting remained a bright spark in an otherwise underwhelming campaign for the franchise.

Though he has yet to register a century in professional white-ball cricket across 14 List A games and 44 T20s, Ashutosh does own a first-class hundred in eight appearances, where he averages 28.46 with a top score of 123.

He’s not alone in flying the Indian flag in English club cricket this summer. KS Bharat, unsold in the 2025 IPL auction, signed up with Dulwich CC and cracked 134 off 108 balls on debut against Esher CC earlier this month.

India A team is also in England, as they took on the England Lions in the first unofficial Test ahead of the five-match Test series. Karun Nair, also a part of Delhi Capitals alongside Ashutosh, smashed a double century for India A in the game.

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