India batter Ashutosh Sharma has signed for Hampshire ahead of the 2026 One Day Cup. England's domestic List A tournament is set to commence on Tuesday, July 21, and will run alongside The Hundred.
Hampshire, who are owned by the GMR Group, the same as the Delhi Capitals (DC), were able to lure in the Indian Premier League (IPL) star for the entirety of the 50-over competition. Ashutosh comes into the One Day Cup having scored 171 runs from eight matches during the 2026 IPL, hitting at a strike-rate
of 181.91.
The DC batter will add some much-needed experience and firepower to the Hampshire side for the One Day Cup. Since the tournament runs parallel with The Hundred, the Hawks will be without key players, including James Vince, Liam Dawson and Tristan Stubbs.
"We’re really pleased to sign Ashutosh for the One-Day Cup. He is a player of great potential and has done well for Delhi Capitals in the IPL recently so knows what it’s like to perform to a high standard. We look forward to welcoming him into the group and seeing what he can do in a Hampshire shirt as we look to go one step further than last year in the competition," Hampshire's Director of Cricket, Giles White, said.
It is worth mentioning that this is the second season in a row where Hampshire have signed an Indian batter for the One Day Cup. Last year, the Hawks secured the services of Tilak Varma on a short-term deal, seeing him play three matches in the tournament. The left-handed batter registered two ducks but did score a 52-ball 54 against Essex to help his side secure a five-wicket victory in Southampton. Washington Sundar also represented Hampshire twice last year, but in the County Championship.
Ashutosh, meanwhile, comes into the tournament having last played a List A game earlier this year for Railways in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has played 21 games in the 50-over format, scoring 458 runs at an average of 24.10 while striking at 131.60. This will be the 27-year-old's first experience of playing domestic cricket outside of India.
Hampshire kickstart their One Day campaign against Yorkshire at Scarborough on July 21. The Hawks finished runners-up to Worcestershire last time around after all-rounder Ethan Brookes scored 57 off 34 balls in the run chase to take his side home.
