Rampur (Jaipur): “His horse is out, your horse is out too (His car can pass and so will your car),” quipped a young boy when asked where the home of emerging Indian star Ashok Sharma is.Ashok Sharma’s performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) may create a lot of buzz, but reaching his village, about 35 kilometers from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is a daunting task. An exit suddenly appears on the Delhi-Mumbai highway, and after a few kilometers of walking along that dusty track, carefully crossing a hastily operated railway crossing, the road disappears. That’s when you will understand what “fasten your seat belt” really means and the divide between the two Indias.
“There is a shame in calling people. no way (I’m embarrassed to invite people over. “There’s not even a formal road,” Akshay Sharma, Ashok’s brother, said as he welcomed us to his home. The orientation signage ends a few hundred meters in front of the residence, requiring deft maneuvering in a narrow alley with several sharp turns.Ashok’s villages reflect rural India in the true sense of the word. There are double-storey houses, the cooler is still a valuable asset and the village has no proper roads. Yet there is a sense of calm here, Akshay says, which is why the family has chosen not to leave their roots.
Ashok Sharma’s father Nathulal Sharma (left) and his brother Akshay Sharma (Photo credit: Pratyush Raj)
“May peace be with you (It’s very quiet here). Ashok also liked it. It all started from here, whether it was me playing cricket or him hitting his stride. Ashok always said, ‘No matter how much you walk, you never choose your village.‘(No matter what happens, we will never leave our ancestral village),’ Akshay said as he dusted off the charpai under the two neem trees in front of his house. The front yard remains a cozy space for the Sharma family, providing ample space to accommodate two ‘charpaais’ and entertain guests in the shade, with birds providing soothing background music.Today, it is rare for an Indian cricketer who has played in the Ranji Trophy and the Indian Cricket League to still live in his own village. Indian cricketers earn very handsomely, especially with the advent of cricket leagues, and they tend to enjoy a lavish lifestyle. However, Ashok Sharma believes in simplicity and is completely focused on his acting. Akshay says his brother doesn’t care about such luxuries.
Ashok likes it here. He gets up at 5 o’clock, goes out for a run, trains for three hours, comes back at 8 o’clock, and then goes to bed again. He became very conscious about his diet, especially after suffering a knee injury while playing for KKR.
Akshay Sharma
“He loves it here. He wakes up at 5 o’clock, goes out for a run, trains for three hours, comes back at 8 o’clock and goes to sleep again. He is very conscious about his diet, especially after his knee injury during KKR. He always said that he would trade a luxurious five-star life for this. His diet is also very simple. He loves homemade food. Diet, recovery and sleep are the three most important parts of his training program now,” he added.As the chat started, Ashok and Akshay’s father Nathulal Sharma joined the conversation on his electric scooter, a gift from his younger son. Wearing a tattered shirt and mud-stained trousers, he had just returned from a shift in the fields, took a breath, and then got into the Sharpai. “Wheat harvest in progress (Wheat harvest is in progress),” he said with a smile.
An electric scooter presented by Ashok Sharma’s father Nathulal Sharma and his son. (Photo courtesy: Pratish Raj)
Meanwhile, Ashok’s mother Lali Devi brought a cup Cha Anqi For everyone. The traditional steel cup, rich taste, and the right amount of homemade spices make people feel refreshing at the first sip. A smile appeared on Lali Devi’s face as the drink was gone in seconds, and she offered a refill before adding: “Akshay and Ashok also enjoyed this after playing cricket for hours.“(This is something Akshay and Ashok also enjoy a lot, especially after playing cricket for hours).Ashok has always considered Akshay as his inspiration. Akshay sowed the seeds of fast bowling in his younger brother, starting with the satisfaction they derived from instilling fear in the minds of batsmen. What started out as fun playing in nearby fields soon turned into an obsession with firing up speed guns.
I used to love intimidating batters. It gives me a sense of satisfaction, and when they’re scared, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.
Akshay Sharma
“We were both fast. It was fun going into the batsman session, I was relieved and when I started I felt like I was ready (I used to love intimidating batsmen). It gave me a sense of satisfaction and I felt like I had achieved something while they were scared),” recalls Akshay.Fast bowling is a given for the Sharma brothers. Growing up, they heard stories about their uncle Ram Dayal Sharma, the feared fast bowler in the village. He still lives in the house opposite and would be proud to see his nephew carry on this formidable tradition.“I haven’t even seen him play. He quit cricket a long time ago but we heard he was very fast. He once received a special invitation to play in a nearby village. He has long hair, just like MS Dhoni,” he said.
Akshay with his daughter Raja sitting on her lap while his father Nathulal Sharma looks on (Photo courtesy: Pratyush Raj)
Nathulal Sharma sat nearby, watching his two-year-old granddaughter, Raja, and became excited upon hearing the news. “My brother was quick. These two followed in his footsteps,” he added.For the Sharma family, Ashok is fulfilling the unfulfilled dream of his uncle and brother. On March 30, the family learned that Ashok, who has played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, will make his IPL debut for the Gujarat Titans.The family excitedly drove to Chandigarh, about 450 kilometers from the village, just in time to watch Ashok play live for the first time.“We have been to this stadium before. When he was with Rajasthan Royals, he gave us a pass but this time it feels different,” Akshay said.
Ashok always breaks things. He broke a lot of things. Because of him, Akshay was often beaten.
Lali Devi
A day later, Ashok invited his family to Ahmedabad to watch Gujarat’s second match. Instead of flying, they chose to travel by train, which took nearly 10 hours from Jaipur.When asked if he had ever traveled by air, Nathulal Sharma nodded slightly and said: “hope (not yet). Akshay added jokingly,It feels like a gift to them. (He is afraid of flying). “Larry Devey, who had been listening quietly, also joined in and said: “Jharul will fly on a plane one day (One day we will travel by plane). “For the village, Ashok has become a superstar. Anyone you proudly ask will take you to his home because he is one of their own. But for Nathulal and Lali Devi, he remained a naughty child and each one has an almost similar story.
Ashok Sharma (left) and brother Akshay Sharma (special arrangement)
Nathural Sharma said: “If Akshay remains silent, then Ashok will become the devil. (If Akshay is calm, then Ashok is naughty). “Akshay is quick to add, “He used to skip classes a lot. He would always come up with some weird excuse to leave early.”Lali Devi further added: “It was a terrible four days. How much time do we have? Akshay was beaten for having an affair. (He breaks things all the time. He breaks a lot of things. Because of him, Akshay was often beaten). “Akshay smiled and added: “Dad even hit me with a belt once during one of his flings. (Once, my dad beat me with a belt because of him). “
Ashok Sharma’s mother Lali Devi (Photo credit: Pratyush Raj)
Despite Ashok’s mischievous nature, the youngest sibling remains the favorite child in the family.“In 2023, when he was playing for 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 don’t buy it, I won’t go home),” laughs Akshay.Ashok’s dream car is now parked outside their house and is a major attraction for the children of the village. Considering the condition of the roads in the village, an off-road vehicle is a wise choice.
Ashok Sharma’s dream car, the Thar, outside his home in Rampura.
Ashok’s family remains grateful to Ashok’s mentor Vivek Yadav, a former Ranji Trophy cricketer, who took Ashok under his wing and was immediately impressed by his pace.“In 2019, when he was 17, I took him to the Aravalli Cricket Academy where Vivek bhaiya was impressed with his pace. Ashok had an unstable personality but he placed him straight in the senior team. He asked me to keep Ashok in the academy and it helped him become a better cricketer,” Akshay said.However, the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. The lockdown forced Ashok to return home and the road in front of his house became his training ground. The biggest blow came on May 5, 2021, when Rajasthan’s two-time Ranji Trophy winner Vivek Yadav passed away due to complications.
In 2023, when he was playing for KKR, towards the end of the season I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He immediately said, I want a Thar. If you don’t buy it, I won’t go home.
Akshay Sharma
“He didn’t speak for weeks. We thought the dream was over. No one knew us and we knew nothing. But Vikas Bahiya called us and told us that he would fulfill his brother’s dream and the academy would do everything possible to help him fulfill his potential,” Akshay recalled.After Ashok was drafted by the Gujarat Titans for Rs 90 lakh last year, he shared a touching message about his mentor.
Ashok Sharma with late coach Vivek Yadav (Ashok Sharma | Instagram)
“That 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 be playing for India soon, you will be playing top-class cricket soon’,” Ashok said.For Ashok, there is still a long way to go to realize this dream. But the 23-year-old fast bowler definitely knows the importance of patience and perseverance, and he’s just around the corner.At the Aravalli Cricket Academy, coaches Vikas Yadav, Jagminder Singh and others are still hopeful that Ashok can fulfill Vivek Yadav’s dream. Akshay returned home, having given up cricket for his brother, hoping that with Ashok’s success there would finally be a proper path to Rampura, a village that could end India’s long wait for an out-and-out fast bowler.
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