{"id":195833,"date":"2026-07-23T01:50:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=195833"},"modified":"2026-07-23T01:50:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:20:19","slug":"who-is-ashok-sharma-meet-the-150-kph-tearaway-who-could-make-his-india-debut-in-zimbabwe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=195833","title":{"rendered":"Who is Ashok Sharma? Meet the 150-kph tearaway who could make his India debut in Zimbabwe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-body-71256805\">India\u2019s fast-bowling pipeline has thrown up another name. With several senior pacers rested or left out for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, the selectors have turned to youth \u2014 and alongside the already-familiar Mayank Yadav, it\u2019s Ashok Sharma who has forced his way in on the back of a breakout year.<\/p>\n<p>The Rajasthan-born quick has earned his maiden India call-up after a record-laden domestic season and a headline-grabbing IPL debut with Gujarat Titans. A cap in Harare would cap a rise built as much on family sacrifice as raw pace.<\/p>\n<p><b>A farmer\u2019s son, and a brother\u2019s sacrifice<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Ashok\u2019s story starts in Rampura, a small village near Jaipur, where cricketing opportunities were scarce. His father is a farmer, and the family could only afford to back one son\u2019s cricket dream. His elder brother, Akshay Sharma, who had played district-level cricket himself, stepped aside so Ashok could keep going.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy elder brother sacrificed his career for me. Had it not been for him, I wouldn\u2019t have come so far,\u201d Ashok had told        <i>Sportstar <\/i>after his match-winning spell against Mumbai.<\/p>\n<p><b>The domestic season that turned heads<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Ashok first drew national attention in the 2025\u201326 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, finishing as the tournament\u2019s leading wicket-taker with 22 scalps in 10 matches. His hard-length bowling, consistently clocked above 150 kmph, was enough to bring IPL franchises calling.<\/p>\n<p><b>IPL breakthrough with Gujarat Titans<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Gujarat Titans signed him for Rs. 90 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction \u2014 a call that paid off fast. Working under Ashish Nehra, Ashok became one of the tournament\u2019s must-watch quicks, bowling the fastest delivery of IPL 2026 \u2014 154.2 kmph to Dhruv Jurel against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He finished the season with six wickets from six matches, troubling batters with steep bounce and genuine pace throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Before his IPL breakthrough, Ashok had spent seasons on the fringes \u2014 a net bowler for Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals \u2014 waiting for a chance that took years to arrive.<\/p>\n<p><b>The spell that announced him<\/b><\/p>\n<p>One performance stands out: Ashok\u2019s Ranji Trophy spell against Mumbai. With Rajasthan short on experienced pace options, coach Anshu Jain kept the instructions simple \u2014 bowl stump to stump. Ashok did exactly that, removing Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad to help Rajasthan claw back control after Mumbai\u2019s fast start.<\/p>\n<p>The Rahane dismissal meant the most to him. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t move his feet much because he is used to playing on red-soil surfaces. I planned accordingly,\u201d he said \u2014 the kind of tactical detail that convinced many watching that he belonged at a higher level.<\/p>\n<p><b>More than just pace<\/b><\/p>\n<p>What sets Ashok apart isn\u2019t raw speed alone. He bowls hard lengths that extract steep bounce, attacks stumps rather than searching for width, and keeps his composure even against experienced batting line-ups \u2014 all while still finding ways to hurry batters on slower surfaces. He calls himself, simply, a \u201chard lengths bowler,\u201d and the comparisons to modern hit-the-deck quicks have already started.<\/p>\n<p><b>Debut watch: Zimbabwe<\/b><\/p>\n<p>With several first-choice pacers left out for the tour, India\u2019s attack for the Zimbabwe series features Mayank, Ashok, Yash Thakur and Prince Yadav. Ashok is widely tipped for a debut in the series opener in Harare, as India continues building fast-bowling depth ahead of future ICC assignments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"publish-time\" id=\"end-of-article\">Published on Jul 23, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/sportstar.thehindu.com\/cricket\/who-is-ashok-sharma-india-fast-bowler-zimbabwe-t20i-debut-story\/article71256805.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s fast-bowling pipeline has thrown up another name. With several senior pacers rested or left out for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, the selectors have turned to youth \u2014 and alongside the already-familiar Mayank Yadav, it\u2019s Ashok Sharma who has forced his way in on the back of a breakout year. The Rajasthan-born quick&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":195834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/th11-ipl-ashok_GD7FR6FPE.4.jpg.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":195387,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=195387","url_meta":{"origin":195833,"position":0},"title":"India looks to arrest T20I slide as it takes on spirited Zimbabwe","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Shreyas Iyer will be eager for his first win as India captain while his young team eyes course correction against a spunky Zimbabwe that is expected to fight hard during the short three-match T20I series starting here on Thursday. Having lost six out of his first seven T20I games as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-04T165657Z_1154442305_UP1EM741B2V60_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-T20-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-04T165657Z_1154442305_UP1EM741B2V60_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-T20-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-04T165657Z_1154442305_UP1EM741B2V60_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-T20-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-04T165657Z_1154442305_UP1EM741B2V60_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-T20-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-07-04T165657Z_1154442305_UP1EM741B2V60_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-T20-ENG-IND.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196492,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196492","url_meta":{"origin":195833,"position":1},"title":"IND vs ZIM, 2nd T20I: Shreyas Iyer\u2019s India looks to continue revival and seal series win against Zimbabwe","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On the recovery path with its maiden win under new captain Shreyas Iyer, India will look to sustain the momentum and take an unassailable lead against Zimbabwe when the two teams face off in the second T20I here on Saturday. After being swept away by Ireland (0-2) and England (0-4),\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784905498_Zimbabwe_India_Cricket__7_6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784905498_Zimbabwe_India_Cricket__7_6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784905498_Zimbabwe_India_Cricket__7_6.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784905498_Zimbabwe_India_Cricket__7_6.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784905498_Zimbabwe_India_Cricket__7_6.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196239,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196239","url_meta":{"origin":195833,"position":2},"title":"Zimbabwe vs India 1st T20I, LIVE streaming info: When, where to watch the ZIM vs IND match?","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Shreyas Iyer will be looking to finally secure his first win as India\u2019s T20I captain when his side faces Zimbabwe in the first of three T20Is at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday, July 23.\u00a0 Shreyas has lost his first two series in charge of the Men in Blue, suffering\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_09_2026_000514B.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":197338,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=197338","url_meta":{"origin":195833,"position":3},"title":"IND vs ZIM Live Score, 3rd T20I: India wins toss and opts to bat against Zimbawe; playing XIs","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the Sportstar\u2019s live coverage from the third T20I between Zimbabwe and India in Harare on Sunday.TOSSIndia wins toss and opts to bat.Playing XIsIndia: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Ashok Sharma, Yash Thakur, Mayank Yadav Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zimbabwe_India_Cricket_86867.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zimbabwe_India_Cricket_86867.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zimbabwe_India_Cricket_86867.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zimbabwe_India_Cricket_86867.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zimbabwe_India_Cricket_86867.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196836,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196836","url_meta":{"origin":195833,"position":4},"title":"India vs Zimbabwe LIVE Score, 2nd T20I: ZIM wins toss, opts to bowl first; Yash Thakur debuts","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the live coverage of the 2nd T20I between Zimbabwe and India in Harare on Saturday.TOSS UPDATEZimbabwe wins toss and opts to bowl against India.LIVE STREAMING INFOWhen does the second T20I between Zimbabwe and India begin? The second T20I between Zimbabwe and India begins at 4:30PM IST. Where to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_23_2026_000510B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_23_2026_000510B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_23_2026_000510B.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_23_2026_000510B.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP07_23_2026_000510B.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":196471,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=196471","url_meta":{"origin":195833,"position":5},"title":"Bishnoi has realigned his run-up: Sunil Joshi on leg-spinner\u2019s better outing against Zimbabwe","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"July 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Harare India bowling coach Sunil Joshi said a tweak in run-up has helped leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi regain his rhythm against Zimbabwe after a below par outing against England recently. Bishnoi\u2019s spell of 4-0-24-1 in Harare on Thursday in the first T20I read far better than his 4-0-60-0 against England at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T185647.369.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T185647.369.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T185647.369.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T185647.369.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image20-202026-07-24T185647.369.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgnRh4-OWB","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=195833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195833\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/195834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=195833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=195833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=195833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}