‘He tells me to stay humble’: Ashutosh Sharma reveals Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni’s influence on his career

Delhi Capitals (DC) batter Ashutosh Sharma opened up about the impact of Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni, and Kevin Pietersen on his IPL journey. Ashutosh stated that Dhawan, who has been his mentor since their time together at the Punjab Kings camp last year, video-called him to commend his performance. Ashutosh Sharma came into the limelight last season when he played crucial cameos for Punjab Kings. However, the franchise didn’t retain him, and the Capitals took advantage of the opportunity to sign him for Rs 3.8 crore. Ashutosh delivered an impressive performance in the first match of his second season. Ashutosh Sharma Proves Last Season’s Performance Was No Fluke Ashutosh Sharma proved that his performance from last season was no fluke during his debut match for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025. The right-hander played a crucial role in guiding the team to a thrilling one-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants, chasing down 210 runs despite being in a position at 65/5. Sharma scored an unbeaten 66 off 31 balls, including five fours and five sixes. Notably, he started slowly, with 20 runs off 20 balls at one stage, but shifted gears in the final three overs. Despite losing wickets at the other end, he helped the Capitals secure the win with three balls to spare in their IPL 2025 opener. Shikhar Dhawan Was Very Happy with My Performance – Ashutosh Sharma In a recent media interaction, Ashutosh Sharma shared how Shikhar Dhawan has played a pivotal role in preparing him for the challenges. Ashutosh said that Dhawan’s advice, both on and off the field, has been invaluable. “He is my mentor. Since last year, when we had a camp for Punjab Kings, I have been talking to him. Ever since then, he has helped me with a lot of things. He helped in the mental aspect of the game. He says every player has different skills, but the mindset and self-belief take you far. This has really helped me a lot. He was very happy with my performance. He always tells me to stay down to earth and humble,” said Ashutosh as quoted by HT. The two had spent time together when they were part of the Punjab Kings last year. After his match-winning performance against Lucknow, Ashutosh dedicated his Player of the Match award to Dhawan. MS Dhoni Told Me a Lot of Things – Ashutosh Sharma The 26-year-old revealed that MS Dhoni also shared some valuable advice last year. Ashutosh mentioned that he had the opportunity to speak with Dhoni and asked him about his mindset when stepping onto the field to finish games. “I spoke to MS Dhoni last season when we played against CSK. I asked him what goes on his mind when he goes to the middle to finish off games. He told me a lot of things,” said Ashutosh. When asked to reveal the advice, Ashutosh decided to keep it a secret, saying, “It’s a secret.”