Ashok Sharma earns India A call-up as Yudhvir Singh injury replacement

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Fast bowler Ashok Sharma has been drafted into the India A squad in Sri Lanka as an injury replacement for Yudhvir Singh, a day after Sharma switched his domestic allegiance from Rajasthan to Gujarat.

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The Times of India reported that the 23-year-old pacer will fly to Colombo on Tuesday morning before joining India A in Dambulla, where the tri-series involving India A, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A is being played.

Sharma will join a Tilak Varma-led India A side after a narrow defeat to Sri Lanka A

India A, led by Tilak Varma, lost narrowly to Sri Lanka A on Monday, with no match score included in the report.

India A are scheduled to face Afghanistan A on June 17 in a match described as a must-win clash for the side.

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Gujarat Titans rate Sharma’s pace after his six IPL wickets in six matches

Sharma drew attention during the Indian Premier League because of raw pace, and the report said Sharma took six wickets in six matches.

Gujarat Titans signed Sharma for Rs 90 lakh at the auction. Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has been impressed by Sharma’s ability to bowl at 150 kph while disguising a 115-kph slower delivery with the same action, according to the report.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy wickets and IPL stops show the route to the call-up

Sharma broke an 11-year-old record in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets, according to the report.

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Sharma’s first IPL contract came in 2022, when Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for Rs 55 lakh. Kolkata Knight Riders later released Sharma, and Sharma then spent a season as a net bowler with Rajasthan Royals.

Rajasthan Royals bought Sharma at the 2025 mega auction for his base price of Rs 30 lakh, but Rajasthan Royals released Sharma again without giving him a game.

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Pat Cummins’ advice shaped Sharma around hard lengths at pace

Sharma said earlier this year that Pat Cummins, during Sharma’s time with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022, told him to keep his main strength central to his bowling.

“I never thought about slowing down. I just wanted to maintain my pace and hit the right lengths. In 2022, I spent a lot of time with Pat Cummins,” Sharma had told TimesofIndia.com earlier this year.

“I spoke to him about lengths and what I could do better. He asked me a simple question: ‘What is your strength?’ Every bowler has one. Some swing it, some seam it. He asked me what I felt my strength was. I told him I could hit a hard length at good pace. He told me to stick to that. Whenever I practise, I remember his words. They still echo in my ears.”

The India A stint gives Sharma a selection-stage test, with playing XI details unconfirmed

Sharma now has a chance to show his pace and control in the India A setup, but the report does not confirm whether Sharma will play against Afghanistan A on June 17.

Sharma’s call-up also follows a personal route from Rampura, a village about 35 kilometres from Jaipur that the report says still does not have a proper road connection to the outside world.