It has been a dream start to the week for 23-year-old fast bowler Ashok Sharma. Only a day after taking the big decision to leave Rajasthan and play his domestic cricket for Gujarat, he received the kind of news every young pacer waits for. According to TrendKia, he has been added to the India A squad for the ongoing tri-series in Sri Lanka.
A Spot Opens Up Through Injury
Ashok comes in as the replacement for Yudhvir Singh, who has been ruled out with an injury. As per the plan, the young pacer will fly out to Colombo on Tuesday morning and then link up with the team in Dambulla. The triangular series is being contested between India A, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A.
A Must-Win Game Awaits India A
Led by Tilak Varma, India A suffered a narrow defeat against hosts Sri Lanka A on Monday. That loss has turned their clash against Afghanistan A on June 17 into a do-or-die contest, where a win is essential to stay in the running.
The Pace That Turned Heads
Speed is Ashok's calling card. He bowls at 150 kmph, and the most striking part of his game is that he can deliver a 115 kmph slower ball off the very same action, making it tricky for batters to read him. It was this raw pace that first put him in the spotlight. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy he broke an 11-year-old record and finished as the tournament's most successful bowler with 22 wickets.
Impact In The IPL
Beyond domestic cricket, Ashok also caught the eye in the IPL with his speed. He picked up six wickets in six matches, and his showing impressed the Gujarat Titans management enough for them to buy him at the auction for 90 lakh rupees.
A Journey Built On Persistence
Ashok's path has been anything but smooth. In 2022, Kolkata Knight Riders handed him his first IPL contract worth 55 lakh rupees, but he was later released. He then spent a season with Rajasthan Royals as a net bowler. At the 2025 mega auction, Rajasthan Royals picked him at his base price of 30 lakh rupees, only to release him without giving him a single game. Against that backdrop, this India A call-up could prove to be a major turning point in his career.
