Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A young fast bowler stole the spotlight in the IPL 2026 clash between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals, not just for his performance but for sheer pace. Ashok Sharma, playing for Gujarat Titans, bowled the fastest delivery of the season, a fiery 154.2 kmph yorker to Dhruv Jurel, leaving everyone impressed. The 23-year-old pacer consistently bowled at high speeds, crossing 145 kmph regularly and even hitting 150 twice in the same over. His 154.2 kmph delivery became the fastest ball of IPL 2026, beating Anrich Nortje’s earlier mark of 150.9 kmph.Sharma earned his IPL spot after a strong performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was Rajasthan’s top wicket-taker. Gujarat Titans showed faith in him by picking him in the playing XI early, and he has delivered steady performances so far.Despite Sharma’s pace, Rajasthan Royals posted a big total of 210/6 after choosing to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave a solid start, adding 69 runs in the powerplay. Jaiswal went on to score a half-century, while Dhruv Jurel played a crucial knock of 75 off 42 balls, accelerating the innings in the later stages.There were a few setbacks with quick wickets in the middle overs, but Jurel’s innings ensured Rajasthan crossed the 200 mark. Gujarat bowlers managed to pull things back slightly towards the end, but still faced a challenging target.With Gujarat already missing captain Shubman Gill, the big question remained whether they could chase down the total against a confident Rajasthan side.
