Fast bowler Ashok Sharma says wearing the India jersey has been a lifelong dream as he prepares for a possible international debut in the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. The three-match series begins on Thursday in Harare, where the youngster is hoping to make the most of his maiden senior India call-up.
Ashok said his immediate focus is simply on representing the country and staying true to the routines that have helped him reach this stage.
“My first target will be to wear the India jersey. I am waiting for that moment to wear that jersey and represent my nation. I have waited for this for a long time. So that will be the first thing. The second thing is that I will keep doing what I know best. Whatever I have done till now- the hard work in domestic cricket, the preparation and the routines- I will just keep following that. I will stick to my strengths and not try anything extra,” he told JioStar.
The 22-year-old said he now wants to make a strong impression if he gets an opportunity during the tour and hopes it will eventually pave the way for a place in India’s Test side.
“Now that I am in the squad for the series against Zimbabwe, my next target will be to take as many wickets as possible and try to play as many matches as I can. I want to make this opportunity count. My next goal after that will be to play red-ball cricket for India as soon as possible,” he added.
Before his senior call-up, Ashok was drafted into the India A squad for the tour of Sri Lanka after Yudhvir Singh suffered an injury. The experience gave him the chance to train with some of the country’s best young cricketers and prepare for the next step.
Ashok credits Siraj for his development
Ashok also acknowledged the role senior India pacer Mohammed Siraj has played in his development during their time together at Gujarat Titans. He said he regularly sought advice from Siraj in the dressing room and during practice sessions, asking him about handling pressure, planning dismissals and building spells.
“I had a lot of talks with Siraj bhaiya as well. Whenever we were in the dressing room or bowling together in the nets, I would keep asking him questions throughout the day. I would ask him, ‘Bhaiya, when you play a match, how much pressure do you feel? What do you think before bowling a delivery? If I have to bowl to someone, how should I set him up?’ I would discuss all these things with him,” he said.
Ashok added that Siraj was always willing to share his experience and offer technical advice.
“Siraj bhaiya would explain everything to me very well. He would stand with me and watch two or three of my deliveries. Then he would tell me, ‘Do this, make this change, try this.’ So I learned a lot from him. I have carried all those learnings with me. Whenever I get time to practice in Jaipur, I focus on those things and try to do them even better,” he added.
Besides Ashok, India’s T20I squad for the tour of Zimbabwe features several other exciting new faces, including left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, pacer Yash Thakur and wicket-keeper Prabhsimran Singh. Further, batter Rinku Singh and pacer Mayank Yadav make a comeback to the Shreyas Iyer-led T20I squad.