Gujarat Titans player joins India-A squad [Source: AFP]
In a significant development, the Indian team has called up one of Gujarat Titans' IPL 2026 stars for the ongoing Tri-Nation A series in Sri Lanka. Led by Tilak Varma, India-A are on the verge of a group-stage elimination from the tournament, having lost two consecutive matches in the series.
The Men in Blue kickstarted their campaign with a narrow victory before going down to Afghanistan-A and Sri Lanka-A in successive encounters.
Amid their inconsistent performance, Tilak Varma's men received a major boost, with Ashok Sharma joining the India-A squad for Sri Lanka Tri-Series as an injury replacement for Yudhvir Singh.
Ashok Sharma starred for GT in IPL 2026
Right-arm fast bowler Ashok Sharma grabbed the attention of the cricket fraternity through some scorching spells in the IPL 2026.
Although Ashok bagged his maiden IPL contract for KKR in 2022, it took him four years to make his first appearance in the lucrative Indian league.
Known for his pace and ability to make the white-ball talk, Ashok Sharma was purchased for INR 90 lakh by Gujarat Titans after making his chances count in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The Titans' think tank was impressed with his skillset, eventually handing him an IPL debut against Punjab Kings. The 23-year-old justified his selection, recording one of the fastest balls in IPL 2026 and finishing with six wickets in as many games at a strike rate of 21.
Ashok Sharma replaces Yudhvir Singh in India-A squad
Yudhvir Singh warmed the bench in all three matches, with the Indian side preferring Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan and Yash Thakur to lead their pace attack in the Tri-Nation Series in Sri Lanka.
Although Yudhvir was initially named in the India-A squad for Sri Lanka Tri-Series, an unspecified injury curtailed his participation in the marquee tournament, forcing the India-A management to replace him.
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As a result, Ashok Sharma received a well-deserved call-up, becoming part of the India-A squad for Sri Lanka Tri-Series following a fruitful IPL season for Gujarat Titans.
Ashok Sharma's List-A stats and records
Hailed for his ability to move the ball at searing pace, Ashok Sharma has played seven matches in List-A cricket. Although his economy is slightly on the higher side, the Gujarat Titans speedster has bagged 13 wickets at a healthy strike rate of 27.2.
Ashok was an integral part of the Rajasthan squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, where he dismantled Tamil Nadu with a sensational five-wicket haul. It's worth mentioning that he recently shifted his base from Rajasthan to Gujarat, a state side he'll represent in the upcoming domestic season.
Will Ashok Sharma get a game for India-A in Sri Lanka Tri-Series?
The performance of the India-A team in the Tri-Nation series has been abysmal, to say the least. While Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma have shown consistency, the fast bowlers have mostly been taken to the cleaners.
Left-arm pacer Arshad Khan has been impressive with the ball, but his colleagues, Anshul Kamboj and Yash Thakur, have let the team down with poor returns.
Anshul managed a solitary wicket at an economy of 7.60 before being dropped from the India-A playing XI for their most recent encounter.
Yash Thakur, who entered the lineup as his replacement, went wicketless for 29 runs in three overs against Sri Lanka-A.
Therefore, given how their pacers have performed in the tournament, Ashok Sharma might come in as Yash Thakur's replacement in the India-A playing XI when they take on Afghanistan-A in a do-or-die contest on June 17.
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