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2 min readApr 21, 2026 08:10 PM IST
Holder said that Ashok has a natural gift of being quick, something that the former West Indies captain feels cannot be trained into a player. (AP Photo)
Ashok Sharma is among the young Indian fast bowlers who have turned heads thus far in the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and his senior Gujarat Titans teammate Jason Holder feels that the 23-year-old has it in him to go a long way in his career, provided he stays injury-free. GT may have lost the match in which Ashok made his debut by three wickets but he first attracted attention by maintaining speeds between 140kph and 145kph consistently before bowling an impressive 18th over in which he gave away just five runs.
“To see a young bowler come in and bowl at 145 kmph consistently… Ashok has been one of those guys who has really impressed me on that front,” Holder is quoted as saying by PTI. “He’s got pace, and beyond his pace is his skill… You see his slower balls, you see he’s able to nail the yorkers, and over a period of time, he’ll gain experience, he’ll gain knowledge and understand when to bowl his deliveries at the best time.”
Holder said that Ashok has a natural gift of being quick, something that the former West Indies captain feels cannot be trained into a player. Ashok has gone on to play a total of six matches for GT and has taken as many wickets.
“I’m really excited to see his progress. I think he’s one to watch out for. If he remains fit and remains hungry, I think he can definitely go places,” said Holder.
“You can’t train pace. You either have pace or you don’t have pace and to sustain it without being injured for a very long time is difficult. So he’s got a natural gift for being quick, but he’s added some skills as well. So, I guess with more experience and more knowledge about the game, I expect pretty good things from him.”
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