The moment you hear the name of former Indian cricketer Ajay Sharma, the sordid match-fixing episode that hit Indian cricket in the 1990s comes to mind. Despite his best efforts, that stigma has stuck to him, just like many other cricketers, who played in the 90s, be it former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin or Ajay Jadeja.
However, currently, his achievement as the head coach of the Jammu and Kashmir team will hopefully override that dark phase of his career.
Sharma has played a massive role in guiding J&K to their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph, which they will achieve in Hubbali on Saturday. This achievement has been against the odds, considering they have beaten reputed teams, including Bengal in Bengal (semi-final) and Karnataka in Karnataka (final).
Delhi-born Sharma, 61, was a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket before his career was interrupted by match-fixing allegations in the year 2000. Cricket administrators castigated him, and he was a virtual outcast until cleared of all charges by a Delhi court in 2014. That’s when he returned to the sport in a coaching capacity.
Ajay Sharma
Despite having a brilliant run in domestic cricket, Sharma did not make much headway in international cricket. He made his Test debut in the same match as Narendra Hirwani against the West Indies in Chennai in 1988. Hirwani went on to claim a record 16-wicket haul on debut, while Sharma had two good stints as a batter, making 30 and 23 on a not-so-easy pitch. Sadly, that remained his only Test appearance despite being a consistent scorer in domestic cricket, having garnered 10,120 runs in 129 matches at an amazing average of 67.46, with 38 centuries and bagging 87 wickets. Being a handy all-rounder, he did go on to play 31 ODIs, and it was during this phase that his name repeatedly cropped up during the match-fixing allegations, which ultimately led to a ban on his cricket career until he was cleared in 2014.
After getting the all-clear from the court, Sharma began rebuilding his reputation in cricket. He formally announced his retirement from active cricket in 2017 and got involved in coaching, including roles at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Before his senior team appointment, he was involved in coaching at various levels, including time spent in Delhi, where he was credited with transforming the batting of young talent Yash Dhull.
Sharma also mentored his son Manan, a left-handed all-rounder. Manan represented the Delhi cricket team in domestic cricket from 2008 to 2019 and played for the India U-19 in the 2010 U-19 Cricket World Cup alongside KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. However, just like the career of his father, Manan’s career was also going nowhere despite being signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2016. He eventually retired from cricket in August 2021 and moved to pursue opportunities in the United States.
As for Sharma, his biggest opportunity came when, in September 2022, the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) appointed him as head coach of their senior team, replacing Sanjeev Sharma. It was no bed of roses for him as, upon joining, he faced challenges in adapting to the team’s culture. He initially faced resistance, with players reportedly calling him a ‘dictator’ for his strict approach. He focused on ending the ‘star culture,’ improving work ethic, and building a ‘red-ball mindset’. This led to a dramatic turnaround, with players eventually affectionately referring to him as Ajju Bhai. With so much focus on white-ball cricket, initially, it was difficult for him to set the agenda for the Ranji Trophy. He had to request JKCA to allow the team to play pre-season tournaments like the Buchi Babu and Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup to prepare for the Ranji Trophy. Luckily for him, his former Delhi colleague Mithun Manhas was the then BCCI-appointed head of the crisis-ridden JKCA and he gave Sharma a free hand. Manhas served as administrator for JKCA, starting in 2021, successfully guiding them out of a crisis involving mismanagement and corruption. He was credited with improving infrastructure, laying fresh pitches, nurturing talent, and appointing Sharma as coach, and supporting him wholeheartedly, ultimately leading to this Ranji success.
There is no doubt that Sharma’s tenure as JKCA coach has brought about a remarkable personal turnaround. He has successfully moved on from a controversial past to become a highly respected mentor. And, currently his guidance in leading J&K to historic heights by helping them claim the Ranji Trophy for the first time since coming into existence in 1970 is the ultimate achievement.
233
No. of runs added by Delhi’s Ajay Sharma and Maninder Singh vs Bombay in the 1991-92 season — still the highest Ranji Trophy stand for the 10th wicket
1033
No. of runs scored by Delhi’s Ajay Sharma in eight games in the 1996-97 Ranji season, including five centuries. In doing so, he became only the third player to score over 1000 runs in a single Ranji season at that time, after WV Raman (1018 runs in 1988-89) and Rusi Modi (1008 in 1944-45)
67.46
Ajay Sharma’s first-class batting average — the fourth-best in history (minimum 2000 runs), behind Sir Donald Bradman (95.14), Vijay Merchant (71.64), and George Headley (69.86)
