‘My first goal will be to wear the India jersey’: Ashok Sharma eyes dream of making India debut in Zimbabwe

India fast bowler Ashok Sharma has described his first senior national team call-up as the fulfillment of a long-held dream, with the youngster now hoping to make his international debut during the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. India will take on Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series in Harare from July 23-26 and Ashok is among the uncapped players in contention for his first cap. Ahead of the tour, the pacer had said that donning the India jersey was always his biggest ambition. “My first goal will be to wear the India jersey. I am waiting for that moment to wear the jersey and represent my nation. I have been waiting for this for a long time. So that will be the first thing. The second thing is that I will continue to do what I do best. Whatever I have done so far – hard work in domestic cricket, preparation and routine – I will try to stick to it. I will not stick to my strengths and I will not stick to my strengths. The 23-year-old also outlined his immediate goals for the Zimbabwe series, saying he wants to make the most of the opportunity if he earns a place in the playing XI. Ashok added that a good performance in the shortest format could help him get closer to his next dream of representing India in Test cricket. “Now that I am in the squad for the series against Zimbabwe, my next aim will be to take as many wickets as possible and try to play as many matches as possible. I want to take advantage of this opportunity. My next aim after that is to play red-ball cricket for India as soon as possible,” he added. Ashok’s selection comes after he was part of the India A squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in June. He joined the team as a replacement after pacer Yudhvir Singh was injured while starting in the field, giving him a chance to gain experience with the national development side. The right-arm pacer also revealed the cricketer who most shaped his approach to fast bowling, naming former South Africa quick Dale Steyn as his biggest inspiration. “Dale Steyn is a match-winning bowler in his own right. In his time when his bowling was on point, he could win matches on his own. He could take the game away from the opposition in a few overs,” he said. Explaining what he admires about the legendary fast bowler, Ashok said Steyn’s approach and methods had a lasting impact on him. “I watch him in terms of his aggression, his run-up, his intensity and the way he sets the batsmen up. Everything about him is inspiring. He is someone I look up to as a fast bowler,” he added.