Last Friday, trainees and coaches at the Rajasthan Royals Academy (RRA) in Pune were treated to a special visit by upcoming speedster Ashok Sharma.
Ashok received a warm welcome at Rajasthan Royals Academy Pune, with the young cricketers forming a guard of honour for the 22-year-old pacer. He was felicitated with a memento and bouquet as a token of appreciation.
During his hour-long visit, Ashok, who will be part of the Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2025, interacted wholeheartedly with the 90 kids and eight coaches who turned out for the meet and greet.
Ashok shared fast-bowling tips with the young trainees at the academy and answered their insightful questions about game preparation and the winning mindset.
Despite his young age, Ashok left a lasting impression with his mature answers, which left a mark on all the attendees.
One of the highlights of Ashok’s visit to the Rajasthan Royals Academy Pune was when he recounted his incredible cricketing journey which inspired the youngsters in attendance.
Born in Rampura village near Jaipur, Ashok Sharma first gained recognition as part of Rajasthan’s Under-19 state team.
The talented pacer stepped it up a notch after winning the Red Bull Speedster, a competition to identify and groom the best fast bowlers in India run by Red Bull and Rajasthan Royals.
Ashok subsequently was chosen as a net bowler at the Royals and impressed enough to attract some serious bids from the team at the IPL 2022 mega auction.
Despite failing to secure his services on the first attempt, Rajasthan Royals managed to bring Ashok home for the IPL 2025 season.
Ashok’s journey and his visit to RRA Pune exemplify the Royals' core philosophy of discovering and developing young talent.
