JAIPUR: Before the 2026 IPL kicked off, Ashok Sharma had a modest reward in mind for his hard work: upgrading his silver chain to a gold one. But his elder brother Akshay turned him down with a challenge: earn the India cap first. Ashok didn’t give up easily. Right before leaving to play for India A in the Tri Nation A Series in Sri Lanka, he cheekily reminded his brother about the upgrade again.The answer was still a firm not yet. He was told the gold would have to wait for the official India call-up.Now, that dream has finally come full circle. With his selection for the T20I series in Zimbabwe this July, the embargo has officially been lifted. Akshay has promised that once Ashok returns home from Bengaluru, where is playing Emerging Men’s Tournament, he is finally allowed to buy any gold chain of his choice.But now, thinking about the elusive India cap in his hands, jewelry has taken a backseat to sheer focus. Instead, the 24-year-old speedster is completely wrapped up in visualising his bowling plans and imagining his first step into the Indian dressing room. “Right now, my focus is strictly on preparation,” Sharma told TOI.On the cusp of his international debut, the pacer from Rajasthan is drawing on the wealth of knowledge gathered from his IPL journey, whether grinding as a net bowler, waiting in the wings or breaking into the playing XI. In a candid chat, he opens up about the drive behind his stellar domestic season and the crucial advice passed down by Gujarat Titans’ head coach Ashish Nehra. Excerpts:Bowling plans:When it comes to my preparation for this big opportunity, I am just going to stick to the basics that I have been following till now, work on my strengths, and focus completely on them. My main strength is hitting the hard length, which allows me to extract a good bounce, so I will keep my entire focus on bowling from right there. I will also remain adaptable to whatever the team demands at any given time, whether that means bowling slower balls or yorkers depends entirely on the match situation.Initial IPL years with KKR and RR:I truly value my time with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) because you get to learn something or the other from every place. I couldn’t get into the playing XI, but I was fortunate to be around legendary figures and international stars like Pat Cummins, Tim Southee, Shane Bond, Sandeep Sharma, and the then KKR bowling coach Bharat Arun sir.I vividly remember a conversation I had with Pat Cummins back in 2022 when I was with KKR. I asked him what else I should do to improve, and he asked me, ‘What is your strength?’ When I told him that I can hit the hard length anytime and bowl in that area whenever needed, he told me to make that one thing so good that even if someone wakes me up in the middle of the night, I should be able to bowl it flawlessly. He reminded me that every great bowler needs one defining weapon, just like Jasprit Bumrah or Lasith Malinga are known for their yorkers.Being released by RR motivated me:Right before Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, when our fourth Ranji match was going on, the retention list came out and RR had released me. That setback really stuck in my mind, and I realised that things wouldn’t work out with just this much effort, I needed to do even better. I channeled that energy into focusing strictly on what was in my hands and giving my absolute best, and thankfully, that is exactly what happened. I finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker, leveling with Jharkhand’s Sushant Mishra at 22 scalps.Developing pace:My pace was natural when I started, though it wasn’t this fast initially. I was only bowling around 130–135 km/h during my Under-19 days. Over time, through continuous bowling, rigorous training and focusing heavily on my diet, my bowling got better and the pace gradually increased. Hitting 150 km/h was a specific target I used to talk about with my trainer in Jaipur, Vinay Meena. I have been training with him on my physique and ground work since 2022.Nehra’s advice:When the season ended with Gujarat Titans, Ashish Nehra sir gave me a reality check. He told me that my current age is the best age of my career, and if these two or three years slip away, nobody will ask about me. He told me not to just be satisfied with India A or things like that, but to set a goal of playing 100 Test matches for India. My career is just starting and that milestone is very far, but my dream is to play at least 60 to 70 Test matches for the country.Support from seniors:Whenever I used to bowl in the nets, seniors like Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Ishant Sharma were always there to support me. If I faced any difficulty or wanted to learn how to make a delivery better, I could ask anyone and everyone was always ready to help.My stint with India A on the Sri Lanka tour was also a great experience, even though I only reached for the last match as a replacement player. It was nice because I got to play in the final, learned what else I could improve on, and had a good chat with the team’s bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji. Right now is my age to learn, so I try to absorb as much as possible from whatever opportunities I get.Family dynamics:Everyone at home has always backed me, but my elder brother is the one who went all out for my dream. He wanted to be a cricketer too, but our tight financial situation meant only one of us could make the cut. He willingly stepped aside, passing up his own chance at an academy so our father, who is a farmer, could fund mine. He didn’t walk away from the game entirely, though. He now runs a small cricket academy in Jaipur.He was the one who informed me about my selection in the India squad. My elder brother still manages all my expenses. I still have to seek his approval and explain everything to him, just like during the IPL when I bought an iPad and had to clear the receipt through him.