Ashok Sharma (Image Credit: BCCI)
NEW DELHI: India’s fast bowling line-up has discovered another exciting prospect, with Rajasthan’s Ashok Sharma making his international debut in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday.The 24-year-old earned his first international cap for India after a remarkable rise in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League, with captain Shreyas Iyer winning the toss and electing to field first in the opening match of the three-match series.Speaking after the toss, Iyer explained the decision to bowl first, citing the expected bounce on the Harare surface.
“We’ll bowl first. This is my first time here, so I don’t know how the wicket will play out.”
“But looking at the practice wicket, there was a fair amount of bounce,” Iyer said.India opted for a balanced attack featuring three seamers and a specialist spinner, giving Ashok the opportunity to begin his international journey alongside fellow pacer Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav.
- India playing XI: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav.
Ashok Sharma: From Rajasthan village to India hat
Ashok’s journey to the national team is a story of perseverance and family sacrifice.Hailing from Rampura, a small village near Jaipur, Ashok grew up with limited opportunities to play cricket.
His father is a farmer, and the family’s financial situation means they can only support one son to pursue cricket seriously.His elder brother, Akshay Sharma, who himself played cricket at district level, put his ambitions aside so that Ashok could continue chasing his dream.Years of hard work have finally paid off as Ashok has emerged as one of the fastest rising players in India during the 2025-2026 domestic season.
Record-breaking domestic season and breakthrough IPL
Ashok announced himself on the national stage in the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he became the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 22 wickets in just 10 matches. His ability to consistently run long distances at speeds exceeding 150 kilometers per hour has caught the attention of IPL franchises.Gujarat Titans acquired his services for Rs 90 lakh in the IPL 2026 auction, a move that proved to be an inspired investment.Working under coach Ashish Nehra, Ashok impressed with his blistering pace and sharp rebounding throughout the season. His signature moment came against Rajasthan Royals when he clocked a speed of 154.2 kmph to score the fastest delivery in IPL 2026, delivering a thunderbolt to Dhruv Gurel at the Narendra Modi Stadium.Despite playing just six matches, the right-arm pacer took six wickets and consistently troubled the batsmen with his quick pace.
