3 reasons why Ashutosh Sharma is one of the next big things in Indian cricket 

The emergence of Ashutosh Sharma in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has made heads turn and pundits take notice of an absolute superstar in the making, especially in the shortest format of the game. Ashutosh smashed an incredible 28 ball 61 against the Mumbai Indians (MI) but it didn't prove enough in the end as Punjab fell short by nine runs.

When Ashutosh came out in the middle, the match seemed to be dead and buried with MI holding the aces. However, the youngster made his intentions pretty clear right from the outset and started clearing the boundaries with consummate ease.

While all the sixes were important, it was the outrageous sweep shot against Jasprit Bumrah on the final delivery of the 13th over that was enough to suggest that Ashutosh Sharma is here to stay. None of the bowlers were spared as he brought the Punjab Kings within touching distance of the victory target.

The pendulum had swung in Punjab's favor when Gerald Coetzee was about to bowl the 18th over. As Ashutosh tried to clear the midwicket fence, he couldn't quite get the elevation and the timing and was holed out in the deep.

Mumbai managed to get a grip on the game eventually winning by 9 runs but Ashutosh's masterclass earned the plaudits of the opposition skipper Hardik Pandya. That said let us now have a look at three reasons why Ashutosh is one of the next big things in Indian cricket.

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#1 Exceptional power-hitting abilities

Ashutosh Sharma has already played a few special knocks in his brief IPL career.

From almost giving up cricket to becoming the bona fide finisher for Punjab within a span of six games is something unheard of. Ashutosh Sharma holds the record for the fastest half-century in T20 cricket by an Indian. However, his IPL journey so far has been nothing short of phenomenal.

He is a six-hitting machine and clears the fence with utmost ease. What makes him special is his ability to smash good balls for sixes. We have already seen enough of Ashutosh in the tournament and his big-hitting skills might be one of the best in the competition.

He has smashed 43 sixes in 18 T20 games which counts to about 2.38 sixes per innings. Quite staggering given the fact he is still a relative newcomer. Given how things have shaped up in this season, it will be fair to say that Ashutosh could be the next big thing in Indian cricket.

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#2 Ashutosh Sharma is not bothered by the reputation of the bowler

What makes Ashutosh Sharma special is his ability to keep calm and composure and back his shots irrespective of which bowler he is facing. Be it Pat Cummins or Jasprit Bumrah, Ashutosh doesn't go by the reputation of the bowler and if it's in his arc, he will go for the big shot.

Bumrah bagged the Player of the Match against the Punjab Kings but even the best all-format bowler was smashed for an incredible six by Ashutosh.

Bumrah went for a wide yorker and the middle-order batter got his front leg across to sweep that well over the deep square-leg fence. Not many would dare to play that shot against Bumrah and it was enough to suggest that this bloke is special.

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#3 Ability to handle immense pressure

Over the years we have seen several rookie Indian players making a massive mark in the IPL. However not many have gone on to handle the responsibility of his team in the very first season. This is where Asutosh Sharma is special. He was used as the impact sub in the earlier matches and made an impact almost every time he came out to bat.

The Punjab Kings have been under immense pressure whenever he has walked out to the crease. He takes it simple and doesn't allow the opposition bowler to dominate. He has the belief and confidence and it can be visible from the strokes he plays.

Scoring under pressure is a special trait to have as a youngster and Ashutosh has given us every indication of becoming a household name in the coming days. It remains to be seen whether Ashutosh Sharma gets fast-tracked into the Indian T20 side.