‘My first goal will be to wear the India jersey’: Ashok Sharma dreams of making India debut in Zimbabwe | Cricket News

India fast bowler Ashok Sharma has described his first senior call-up as the fulfillment of a long-time dream as the youngster now hopes to make his international debut during the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. India will play Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I series in Harare from July 23 to 26 and Ashok is among the uncapped players vying for his first cap. On the eve of the tour, the pacer said wearing the India jersey has always been his biggest ambition. “My first goal will be to wear the India jersey. I am waiting to put on this jersey and represent my nation. I have been waiting for this for a long time. So that will be the first thing. The second thing is I will continue to do what I do best. Whatever I have been doing so far – hard work in domestic cricket, preparation and exercise – I will just continue to stick to it. I will stick to my strengths and will not try anything out of place,” he told Jio Star. The 23-year-old also outlined his immediate goals for the Zimbabwe season, saying he wants to make the most of his opportunities should he win a place in the playing squad. Ashok added that performing well in the shortest format can help him move closer to another dream of representing India in Test cricket. “Now that I am in the squad for the series against Zimbabwe, my next goal will be to take as many wickets as possible and try to play as many matches as possible. I want to use this opportunity. My next goal after this will be to play red ball cricket for India as soon as possible,” he added. Ashok’s selection comes after he was part of the India A squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in June. He joined the team as a replacement after pacer Yudhvir Singh was injured during a game, giving him the opportunity to gain experience in the national development team. The right-arm spinner also revealed the cricketer who shaped his approach to fast bowling the most, citing former South African speedster Dale Steyn as his biggest inspiration. “Dale Steyn is a bowler who is a match-winner in his own right. On his day, when his bowling was at its best, he could win matches single-handedly. He could take the game away from the opposition in a few overs,” he said. Explaining what he admires about the legendary fast bowler, Ashok said Steyn’s attitude and methods had a lasting impact on him. “I watch him in terms of his aggression, his run, his intensity and the way he set up batters. Everything about him is inspiring. I look up to him as a fast bowler,” he added.