The Future Ai

Ashok Sharma of Gujarat Titans celebrates after taking a wicket (AP)

Rampur (Jaipur): “His horse is out, yours too will be out (His car gets through, yours will too),” a young boy quips when asked about the location of India’s new pace sensation Ashok Sharma’s house.Ashok Sharma may be making a lot of noise with his pace in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), but reaching his village, around 35 km from Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur, is an uphill task. There is a sudden exit on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and a few kilometers down that dusty lane, after carefully navigating the hastily operated railway crossings, the road disappears. That is when you understand the true meaning of “tighten your seatbelts” and the divide between the two Indias.

“There is shame in calling people. there is no way (I feel embarrassed to invite people over. “There isn’t even a proper road,” says Akshay Sharma, Ashok’s elder brother, while welcoming us to his home. The location pin ends a few hundred meters before the residence, requiring crafty maneuvering on the narrow lanes with several hairpin turns.Ashok’s village reflects a true sense of rural India. There are double-storey houses, coolers remain a prized asset, and proper roads have not yet reached the village. Yet, there is a sense of peace, which Akshay says is the reason the family has chosen 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 is peaceful here). Ashok also loves it. Everything started from here, whether it was me playing cricket or him taking big strides. Ashok always says, ‘No matter how much you go, you will not choose your village.‘ (Whatever happens, we will never leave our ancestral village),” says Akshay, while dusting off the cot under one of the two neem trees in front of their house. The front yard still remains a comfortable space in the Sharma household, offering ample space to house two ‘charpaais’ and host guests in shade, with the birds offering a soothing background score.It is rare to see a present-day Indian cricketer, who has already played Ranji Trophy and the IPL, still living in his village. The amount of money Indian cricketers earn, especially with the advent of the IPL, is massive, and a luxurious lifestyle often follows. However, Ashok Sharma believes in simplicity and focuses entirely on his performance. Akshay says his brother is not concerned about such luxuries.

“He loves it here. He wakes up at 5, goes to the ground for running, trains for three hours, comes back at 8 and then sleeps again. He has become very conscious of his diet, especially after the knee injury he suffered during his stint with KKR. He always says that he would exchange the lavish five-star life for this any day. His diet is also simple. He loves homemade food. Diet, recovery, and sleep are the three most important parts of his training routine now,” he adds.Early in the chat, 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 trousers, he had just returned from a shift in the fields and caught his breath before settling into the cot. “Wheat harvesting is going on (The wheat harvest is underway),” he says with a smile.

Ashok Sharma’s father Nathulal Sharma with his electric scooter gifted by his son. (Photo Courtesy: Pratyush Raj)

In the meanwhile, Lali Devi, Ashok’s mother, brings a glass of chanch for everyone. The traditional steel glass, the drink’s thick texture, and the right amount of home spices made it refreshing at the first sip. Lali Devi had a smile on her face when the drink was gulped within seconds and she offered a refill before adding, “Akshay and Ashok also like this very much, after playing cricket for hours.” (This is something Akshay and Ashok also really like, especially after playing cricket for hours).Ashok has always looked up to Akshay as his inspiration. Akshay sowed the seed of fast bowling in his younger brother, starting with the satisfaction they received in instilling fear in the batters heads. What started as fun in the nearby fields soon became an obsession to set the speed gun on fire.

“We both were quick. There was fun during the batters, I felt a sigh of relief, and when I started I felt like I had cooked (I used to enjoy intimidating batters). It gave me a sense of satisfaction, and when they got scared, it felt like I had achieved something,” recalls Akshay.Fast bowling came naturally to the Sharma brothers. Growing up, they had heard stories of their uncle, Ram Dayal Sharma, a fearful fast bowler in the village. He still lives in the opposite house and would be proud to see his nephew carry on the intimidating tradition.“I have not even seen him bowl. He quit cricket long ago, but we have heard he was very quick. 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 in her lap, while his father Nathulal Sharma watches on (Photo Courtesy: Pratyush Raj)

Nathulal Sharma, sitting nearby and keeping an eye on his two-year-old granddaughter Raja, lit up at the mention. “My brother was quick. These two have followed in his footsteps,” he adds.For the Sharma family, Ashok is living the unfulfilled dreams of his uncle and brother. On March 30, the family learned that Ashok, who had previously been with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, would make his IPL debut for Gujarat Titans.Excited, the family drove to Chandigarh, around 450 km from their village, and reached just in time to watch Ashok play live for the first time.“We have been to the stadium before as well. He had given us passes when he was with Rajasthan Royals, but this felt different,” says Akshay.

A day later, Ashok invited his family to Ahmedabad for Gujarat’s second match. Instead of taking a flight, they chose to travel by train, a journey of nearly 10 hours from Jaipur.When asked if he had ever traveled by flight, Nathulal Sharma gently nods and says, “nahi (not yet).” Akshay jokingly adds, “It feels like a gift to them (He is scared of flying).” Lali Devi, who has been listening quietly, joins in and says, “Jaroor will go on a plane one day (We will travel by flight someday).”For the village, Ashok has become a superstar. Anyone you ask proudly directs you to his house, because he is one of their own. But for Nathulal and Lali Devi, he remains the mischievous child, and everyone has an almost similar story.

Ashok Sharma (left) with his elder brother Akshay Sharma (Special Arrangement)

Nathulal Sharma says, “If Akshay is silent then Ashok will be devil. (If Akshay is calm, then Ashok is mischievous).”Akshay quickly adds, “He used to bunk school. He always came up with some strange excuse to leave early.”Lali Devi further adds, “That’s four poor days. What a lot of time we have. Akshay got beaten due to his affair. (He was always breaking things. He broke so many items.) Because of him, Akshay used to get beaten up.”Akshay smiles and adds, “Once Papa even beat me with a belt in his affair. (Once, Papa even beat me with a belt because of him).”

Ashok Sharma’s mother Lali Devi (Photo Courtesy: Pratyush Raj)

Despite all his mischief, Ashok, the youngest sibling, remains the family’s favorite child.“In 2023, when he was with KKR, towards the end of the season I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He immediately said, ‘Thar chahiye. Nahi doge toh ghar nahi aaunga’ (I want a Thar. If you do not buy it, I will not come home),” laughs Akshay.Ashok’s dream car now stands covered outside their house and is a major attraction for the children in the village. Considering the state of the roads in the village, an off-road capable vehicle was a smart choice.

Ashok Sharma’s dream car Thar outside his home in Rampura.

The family remains grateful to Ashok’s mentor Vivek 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 by his pace. Ashok was erratic, but he directly placed him in the senior team. He asked me to let Ashok stay at the academy, and it 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, passed away due to complications.

“He did not speak for weeks. We thought the dream was over. No one knew us and we were clueless. But Vikas bhaiya called 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 lakh last year, Ashok had shared an emotional message about his mentor.

Ashok Sharma with his late coach Vivek Yadav (Ashok Sharma | Instagram)

“It was the last time I cried. I thought my career was over. He wanted me to play for India. He used to say, ‘You will play for India very soon, you will play top-level cricket very soon’,” Ashok had said.It is going to be a long road for Ashok to achieve that dream. But the 23-year-old fast bowler, definitely knows the importance of patience and perseverance, and that he is just off the blocks.At the Aravali Cricket Academy, coaches Vikas Yadav, Jagminder Singh, and others remain hopeful that Ashok will fulfill Vivek Yadav’s dream. Back home, Akshay, who gave up cricket for his brother, hopes that with Ashok’s success, a proper road will finally reach Rampura, a village which might end India’s prolonged wait for an out-and-out fast bowler.