Pace is pace: Ashok Sharma’s 150 kph rise, powered by Pat Cummins and Bharat Arun's valuable advice | Exclusive
Ashok Sharma’s journey from a farming village near Jaipur to clocking 150 kph is a story of sacrifice, mentorship and unwavering belief in pace. Guided by his late coach Vivek Yadav, backed by Anshu Jain, and shaped by advice from Pat Cummins and Bharat Arun, the 23-year-old has emerged as the standout bowler of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. With raw speed now married to control, Ashok is fast becoming the speedster to watch out for.
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan head coach Anshu Jain vividly recalls his first impression of Ashok Sharma when he saw him bowling in the nets in Jaipur, a few years ago. “Erratic but fast,” Jain tells TimesofIndia. com.
The 23-year-old Rajasthan pacer was roped in by Gujarat Titans for Rs 90 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. But Ashok isn’t making headlines for the money — he’s in the spotlight for his raw pace. The young fast bowler shattered an 11-year-old record in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and, with 22 wickets, finished as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.
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He has worked on his length, and now with the speed, there is accuracy as well. In our match against Hyderabad, he didn’t pick any wickets in one over, but all six balls he bowled were above 145 kph, with one touching the 150 mark,” says Jain, who has closely tracked Ashok’s rise since his U-19 days. For Ashok, who hails from a farming background, fast bowling came naturally — inspired by his elder brother Akshay Sharma.
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