Ashutosh Sharma and Hardik Pandya [Source: AFP and X]India's search for a genuine pace-bowling all-rounder has once again become a major talking point. With Hardik Pandya battling another injury setback and Nitish Kumar Reddy also recovering at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, the Indian team suddenly looks short of options in one of its most important roles.Interestingly, a player who has never represented India is quietly building a strong case overseas. Ashutosh Sharma, primarily known as a destructive finisher in the IPL, has started contributing with the ball for Hampshire in the England One Day Cup 2026. His recent performances have naturally sparked an interesting debate, i.e., could Ashutosh Sharma eventually develop into India's long-term replacement for Hardik Pandya in ODIs?Ashutosh Sharma discovers a new dimension to his gameAshutosh has always been recognised for his explosive batting. Whether it was his finishing ability in domestic cricket or his fearless cameos in the IPL, the Madhya Pradesh batter established himself as one of India's cleanest hitters and a solid finisher of the game.However, his stint with Hampshire has revealed another side of his game. Bowling medium pace regularly, Ashutosh has already picked up impressive figures of 3/48 and 4/54 in the England One Day Cup. Rather than being used as a part-time option, Hampshire have shown enough confidence to hand him meaningful overs with the new and old ball.अभि 🇮🇳 @abhi7781_ Ashutosh Sharma the allrounder 💥 Jul 24, 2026, 8:26 PM India rarely produce genuine seam-bowling all-rounders capable of finishing games with the bat. If Ashutosh continues improving as a reliable medium pacer, he could gradually enter a category occupied by very few Indian cricketers. The timing of his improvement also makes the discussion more relevant.Also Read- India Planning To Turn Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Into An All-RounderWhy India need another pace-bowling all-rounder?Hardik Pandya remains India's premier fast-bowling all-rounder across white-ball cricket. However, his fitness record has become a growing concern over the last few years.Persistent back problems troubled him during IPL 2026 before a fresh left quadriceps strain ruled him out of India's ODI assignments. He continues to undergo rehabilitation, forcing the selectors to carefully manage his workload ahead of the ODI World Cup 2027 and T20 World Cup 2028.Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was widely viewed as Hardik's long-term understudy, is also recovering from a left quadriceps injury sustained during the Afghanistan ODI series. His rehabilitation has delayed his progress at a time when India were hoping to groom him into a genuine seam-bowling all-rounder.With both Hardik Pandya and Nitish unavailable simultaneously, India's lack of depth in this role has become increasingly evident. That naturally opens the door for discussions around players like Ashutosh.Does Ashutosh Sharma have what India actually need?CriterionSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableDataSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableMatchesSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table23SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableRunsSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table468SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableAverage/SRSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table22.28/130.36SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete TableWicketsSelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table9SelectAdd Row AboveAdd Row BelowAdd Column RightAdd Column LeftDelete RowDelete ColumnDelete Table(Ashutosh Sharma's List-A Stats)On paper, Ashutosh certainly possesses several qualities India value. He is an aggressive lower-order batter capable of changing games within a few overs. Now, he has also begun contributing regularly with medium pace.However, there is still a massive difference between showing promise in county cricket and becoming India's designated pace-bowling all-rounder.Despite scoring 564 IPL runs across his career, Ashutosh has never bowled in the IPL. His recent bowling performances have come only in English domestic cricket, where conditions often assist medium pacers considerably more than Indian pitches.The BCCI is unlikely to fast-track him purely based on a handful of matches for Hampshire, especially when India already have established names and younger all-rounders progressing through the domestic system.His bowling also needs to be tested consistently against stronger batting line-ups across different conditions before he can realistically enter India's selection plans.Should the BCCI consider Ashutosh Sharma for the future?The answer is probably yes—but with caution. Sharma has undoubtedly added another dimension to his game, and that deserves recognition. Players capable of finishing matches while contributing four to six overs remain one of the rarest commodities in world cricket.However, selecting him immediately as Hardik Pandya's successor would be premature. The ideal pathway would be for Ashutosh to continue bowling regularly in domestic cricket, earn opportunities in the IPL as a genuine all-rounder rather than a specialist batter, and consistently prove that his medium pace can influence matches in Indian conditions.For now, Ashutosh Sharma's performances for Hampshire have certainly expanded his ceiling as a cricketer, but replacing a player of Hardik Pandya's stature requires sustained excellence over a much longer period. If he continues evolving with both bat and ball, India may have discovered another valuable pace-bowling all-rounder. Also Read- List Of Indian Players Who Suffered Injuries In 2026
