Ashok Sharma of Gujarat Titans celebrates a wicket (AP) Rampur (Jaipur): “His horse is out, yours will be out too (His car will pass, so will yours),” quips the young lad when asked about the home location of India’s new pace sensation Ashok Sharma.Ashok Sharma may be making a lot of noise with his pace in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), but getting to his village, around 35 km from Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur, is an uphill task. A sudden exit onto the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and a few kilometers down that dusty lane, after carefully passing the hastily operated level crossings, the road disappears. Then you will understand the true meaning of ‘fasten your seat belts’ and the divide between the two Indias.
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From Jaipur’s Rampur to IPL: Ashok Sharma’s Inspiring Rise“It’s a shame to call people. there is no way (I feel awkward inviting people on. “There’s not even a proper road,” says Akshay Sharma, Ashok’s older brother, as he welcomes us to his home. The locator pin ends a few hundred meters before the residence, requiring nimble maneuvering through narrow lanes with several turns.Ashok’s village reflects the true sense of rural India. There are two-story houses, coolers remain a prized possession, and proper roads have yet to arrive in the village. Still, there’s a sense of peace that Akshay says is why the family chose not to leave their roots.
Ashok Sharma’s father Nathulal Sharma (left) and his elder brother Akshay Sharma (Photo Credit: Pratyush Raj)
“Peace be with you (It’s quiet here). Ashok loves it too. It all started here, whether I was playing cricket or he was making big strides. Ashok always says:No matter how much you drive, you don’t choose your village.‘ (Whatever happens, we will never leave our ancestral village),” says Akshay as he dusts the charpai under one of the two neem trees in front of their house. The front garden still remains a comfortable space in the Sharma household, offering enough space to accommodate two ‘charpaais’ and host guests in the shade, with birds providing a soothing backdrop.It is rare to see a current Indian cricketer who has already played Ranji Trophy and IPL still living in his village. The amount of money earned by Indian cricketers, especially with the advent of the IPL, is huge and often follows a luxurious lifestyle. However, Ashok Sharma believes in simplicity and focuses solely on his performance. Akshay says his brother is not interested in such luxury.
Ashok loves it here. He gets up at 5, goes jogging on the ground, trains for three hours, comes back at 8 and then sleeps again. He became very conscious of his diet, especially after the knee injury he suffered during his time with KKR.
Akshay Sharma
“He loves it here. He gets up at 5, goes for a run, trains for three hours, comes back at 8 and then sleeps again. He is very conscious of his diet, especially after the knee injury he suffered during his time at KKR. He always says he would trade the luxurious five-star life for that any day.” His diet is also simple. He likes the three most important parts of his training, sleep and homemade food. supplies.As the chat begins, Ashok and Akshay’s father, Nathulal Sharma, joins the conversation from his electric scooter, a gift from his younger son. Wearing a torn shirt and mud-stained pants, he had just returned from his field shift and caught his breath before settling into the charpai. “The wheat harvest is underway (The wheat harvest is in progress),” he says with a smile.
Ashok Sharma’s father Nathulal Sharma with his electric scooter gifted by his son. (Photo Courtesy: Pratyush Raj)
Meanwhile, Lali Devi, Ashok’s mother, brings a glass chaanch for everyone. The traditional steel glass, the thick texture of the drink and the right amount of homemade spices made it refreshing at the first sip. Lali Devi had a smile on her face as she gulped down the drink within seconds and offered a refill before adding, “Akshay and Ashok are also very fond of it, after playing cricket for hours.” (This is something Akshay and Ashok really love too, especially after playing cricket for hours).Ashok has always looked up to Akshay as his inspiration. Akshay planted the seed of fast bowling in his younger brother, starting with the satisfaction they got from instilling fear in the batsmen’s minds. What started as fun in the nearby fields soon became an obsession to light the speed gun.
I used to enjoy intimidating batters. It gave me a sense of satisfaction and when they got scared I felt like I had achieved something.
Akshay Sharma
“Both of us were fast. The fun in batters was ko darane mein tha, ek tasalli milti thi, aur jab wo darte toh lagta tha ki kuch kiya hai (I used to enjoy intimidating the batters. It gave me a sense of satisfaction and when they got scared I felt I had achieved something),” recalls Akshay.Fast bowling came naturally to the Sharma brothers. Growing up, they heard stories about their uncle Ram Dayal Sharma, a fearsome fast bowler in the village. He still lives in the house across the street and would be proud to see his nephew carry on the intimidating tradition.“I didn’t even see him play. He quit cricket a long time ago, but we heard he was very fast. He used to get special invitations to play in nearby villages. He had long hair, just like MS Dhoni,” he says.
Akshay with his daughter Raja on his lap as his father Nathulal Sharma looks on (Photo Courtesy: Pratyush Raj)
Nathulal Sharma, who was sitting nearby watching over his two-year-old granddaughter Raja, lit up at the mention. “My brother was fast. These two followed in his footsteps,” he adds.For the Sharma family, Ashok lives the unfulfilled dreams of his uncle and brother. On 30 March, the family learned that Ashok, who was previously with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, would make his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans.The excited family drove to Chandigarh, about 450 km from their village, and arrived just in time to see Ashok perform live for the first time.“We have been to the stadium before too. He used to give us passes when he was with Rajasthan Royals, but this was different,” says Akshay.
Ashok was always breaking things. He broke so many things. Akshay used to get beaten up because of him.
Lali Devi
A day later, Ashok invited his family to Ahmedabad for Gujarat’s second match. Instead of flying, they chose to travel by train, which is a journey of almost 10 hours from Jaipur.When asked if he had ever traveled by plane, Nathulal Sharma gave a soft nod and said:washing (not yet). ” Akshay jokingly adds, “It feels like a gift to them (Afraid of flying).” Lali Devi, who has been listening quietly, joins in and says, “Jaroor will go on a plane one day (One day we will travel by plane.)Ashok became a superstar for the village. Anyone you ask will proudly direct you to his house because it is one of their own. However, he remains a mischievous child to Nathulal and Lali Devi and each has an almost similar story.
Ashok Sharma (left) with his elder brother Akshay Sharma (special arrangement)
Nathulal Sharma says, “If Akshay is silent, Ashok will be the devil. (If Akshay is calm, then Ashok is mischievous.)Akshay is quick to add, “He went to a shared school. He always made up some weird excuse to leave early.”Lali Devi further adds, “That’s four bad days. How much time do we have? Akshay was beaten up for his affair. (He was always breaking things. He broke so many things. Akshay used to get beaten up because of him).Akshay smiles and adds:My dad even beat me with his belt once in his affair. (Dad even beat me with a belt once because of him).”
Ashok Sharma’s mother Lali Devi (Photo Courtesy: Pratyush Raj)
Despite all his mischief, the youngest sibling Ashok remains the most popular child of the family.“In 2023, when he was with KKR, I asked him towards the end of the season what he wanted for his birthday. He immediately said, ‘Thar chahiye. Nahi doge toh ghar nahi aaunga’ (I want Thar. If you don’t buy it, I won’t come home),” laughs Akshay.Ashok’s dream car is now parked outside their house and is the main attraction for the children in the village. Considering the condition of the roads in the village, an all-terrain vehicle was a smart choice.
Ashok Sharma’s dream Thar car in front of his home in Rampura.
The family remains grateful to Ashok’s mentor Vivk Yadav, a former Ranji Trophy cricketer, who took him under his wing and was immediately impressed by his pace.“In 2019, when he was 17, I took him to the Aravali Cricket Academy where Vivek bhaiya was impressed with his pace. Ashok was erratic but he directly included him in the senior team. He asked me to let Ashok stay in the academy and that helped him become a better cricketer,” says Akshay.However, the Covid pandemic changed everything. The lockdown forced Ashok to return home, where the road in front of his house became his training ground. The biggest blow came on May 5, 2021, when Vivek Yadav, a two-time Ranji Trophy champion with Rajasthan, died of complications.
In 2023, when he was with KKR, I asked him at the end of the season what he would like for his birthday. He immediately said, I want Thar. If you don’t buy it, I’m not coming home.
Akshay Sharma
“He didn’t speak for weeks. We thought the dream was over. No one knew us and we were clueless. But Vikas bhaiya called us and told us that he would fulfill his brother’s dream and the academy would do everything to help him reach his potential,” recalls Akshay.After being picked by Gujarat Titans for Rs 90 crore last year, Ashok shared an emotional message about his mentor.
Ashok Sharma with his late coach Vivek Yadav (Ashok Sharma | Instagram)
“That was the last time I cried. I thought my career was over. He wanted me to play for India. He was saying, ‘You will play for India very soon, you will play top cricket soon’,” Ashok said.It will be a long journey for Ashok to achieve this dream. But the 23-year-old fast bowler certainly knows the importance of patience and persistence and that he is just out of the blocks.At the Aravali Cricket Academy, coaches Vikas Yadav, Jagminder Singh and others continue to hope that Ashok will fulfill Vivek Yadav’s dream. Back home, Akshay, who gave up cricket for his brother, hopes Ashok’s success will finally lead to a proper trip to Rampura, a village that could end India’s long wait for a fast bowler.
