Ranji Trophy | Pacer Ashok rises to the occasion for Rajasthan

On the eve of Rajasthan’s Ranji Trophy fixture against Mumbai, young fast bowler Ashok Sharma had a long conversation with coach Anshu Jain.

With Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed out of action for the crucial game, Rajasthan’s fast bowling unit was to be spearheaded by the seasoned Aniket Chaudhary, along with Ashok, who made his debut against Jammu and Kashmir this season.

The coach told him to bowl stump-to-stump, and on Saturday, the strategy worked as he picked up three crucial wickets (Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad). “Our bowlers maintained a proper line and length, and that helped. The coach had asked me to bowl stump-to-stump, and that strategy worked in our favour,” Ashok told The Hindu.

Riding on Ashok’s feat, Rajasthan managed to take control over the game after a 100-run opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Musheer Khan. And, on a day when he hogged the limelight, an emotional Ashok remembered how his elder brother Akshay sacrificed his own cricketing career in a bid to make him a cricketer.

“My elder brother Akshay played at the district level, but he sacrificed his career for me. My father is a farmer, so when I was in class 10, my father said that only one of us could play as they were not in a position to bear the cost for both. So, my brother agreed to give up cricket,” Ashok, who has been a part of the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, said.