150 kph and rising: Ashok Sharma gets India A call-up

TimesofIndia.com successful Jaipur: A time aft switching his home allegiance from Rajasthan to Gujarat, accelerated bowler Ashok Sharma has been drafted into the India A squad successful Sri Lanka arsenic an wounded replacement.

The 23-year-old pacer replaces injured Yudhvir Singh.Ashok volition alert to Colombo connected Tuesday greeting earlier linking up with the squad successful Dambulla, wherever the tri-series featuring India A, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A is being played.

Led by Tilak Varma, India A suffered a constrictive decision against the hosts connected Monday and volition present look Afghanistan A successful a must-win clash connected June 17.Ashok grabbed attraction during the Indian Premier League with his earthy pace.

He picked up six wickets successful arsenic galore matches and is highly rated by the absorption of Gujarat Titans, who signed him for ?90 lakh astatine the auction.TimesofIndia.com understands that Ashok's quality to vessel astatine 150 kph portion disguising a 115-kph slower transportation with the aforesaid enactment has peculiarly impressed Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill.The young speedster archetypal burst into the spotlight with his explicit pace. He broke an 11-year-old grounds successful the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and finished arsenic the tournament's starring wicket-taker with 22 wickets.

Ashok secured his archetypal IPL declaration successful 2022 erstwhile Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for ?55 lakh. He was aboriginal released and spent a play arsenic a nett bowler with Rajasthan Royals. At the 2025 mega auction, Rajasthan Royals bought him for his basal terms of ?30 lakh but released him again without giving him a game.Despite the setbacks, 1 happening remained constant: the proposal helium received from Australian skipper Pat Cummins during his clip with Kolkata Knight Riders."I ne'er thought astir slowing down. I conscionable wanted to support my gait and deed the close lengths. In 2022, I spent a batch of clip with Pat Cummins," Ashok had told TimesofIndia.com earlier this year. "I spoke to him astir lengths and what I could bash better. He asked maine a elemental question: 'What is your strength?' Every bowler has one. Some plaything it, immoderate seam it. He asked maine what I felt my spot was. I told him I could deed a hard magnitude astatine bully pace.

He told maine to instrumentality to that. Whenever I practise, I retrieve his words. They inactive echo successful my ears."Ashok present has an accidental to impressment the selectors with his gait and power successful the India A setup. There is inactive nary due roadworthy connecting his village, Rampura, located astir 35 kilometres from Jaipur, to the extracurricular world. But the young accelerated bowler's travel is moving successful the close direction, and helium is edging person to his destination.