21 July,2026 06:40 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ashok Sharma
Team India is set to lock horns with Zimbabwe in the three-match T20I series. The first match is scheduled to be played on July 23 at the Harare Sports Club.
Ahead of the series, Ashok Sharma has received a maiden call-up to the Indian team. Speaking about his call-up, the pacer said that he will continue to stick to his basics.
"My first target will be to wear the India jersey. I am waiting for that moment, to wear that jersey and represent my nation. I have waited for this for a long time. So that will be the first thing. The second thing is that I will keep doing what I know best. Whatever I have done till now, the hard work in domestic cricket, the preparation, the routines, I will just keep following that. I will stick to my strengths and not try anything extra," he said on JioStar.
The speedster also said that he will be aiming to don Team India's jersey in the longest format of the game as soon as possible.
"Now that I am in the squad for the series against Zimbabwe, my next target will be to take as many wickets as possible and try to play as many matches as I can. I want to make this opportunity count. My next goal after that will be to play red-ball cricket for India as soon as possible," said Sharma.
He also named legendary South African cricketer Dale Steyn as his idol. The pacer heaped praise on the former cricketer by stating that he admires everything about Steyn.
"Dale Steyn is a bowler who is a match-winner in himself. On his day, when his bowling was on point, he could win matches single-handedly. He could take the game away from the opposition in a matter of a few overs. I follow him in terms of his aggression, his run-up, his intensity, and the way he used to set up batters. Everything about him is inspiring. He is someone I look up to as a fast bowler," said the 24-year-old cricketer.
Team India under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer will enter the three-match series after suffering a loss against England. Earlier, the "Men in Blue" also faced a shocking defeat in the T20I series against Ireland. Since Iyer's appointment as captain in the shortest format, Team India has suffered two consecutive defeats. It will be interesting to see if Iyer and his men bounce back against Zimbabwe.
Additionally, wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has been dropped from India's squad for the upcoming series.
So far, India has announced their squad for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Shreyas Iyer (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Yash Thakur, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Harsh Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Mayank Yadav, Ashok Sharma, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
