Gujarat Titans speedster Ashok Sharma has quickly become a familiar name in India’s IPL circles, largely because of the raw pace he brings with the ball. In the ongoing season, he has repeatedly registered readings around the 150 km/h mark, with his quickest recorded delivery sitting at 154.2 km/h against the Rajasthan Royals last month. Dhruv Jurel was among the batters facing that burst of pace. Yet for Ashok, bowling fast is only part of the equation—he knows that nailing the right line and length matters just as much, and he is actively working on it. The 23-year-old’s mindset is built on the belief that nothing is out of reach. He even has the word “Impossible” tattooed on the inside of his left arm, but the twist is that the first two letters—“I” and “m”—are scratched out. In effect, it becomes “possible,” serving as a personal motto that insists everything can be achieved, not blocked by impossibility.
“I got this tattoo about a year and a half ago. I was at home and spotted the word ‘impossible’ somewhere. It struck me that I could strike off ‘im’ in the impossible to get the tattoo,” Ashok explained. He added that the intention behind the ink was to counter the kind of negative thoughts that can creep in during training and competition. “The idea behind it was that while [working out in] the gym or bowling [hard] or running, [sometimes] negative thoughts enter the mind ki ho gaaya yaar ab nahin ho paayega [I can’t do this anymore].”
To illustrate how that mental shift helps him, he pointed to the moments when fatigue tries to take over. “For example, if I am doing a 2km time trial run, at times I get weary and the thought arrives that I am done today. But then I remember there is nothing that is not possible in this world. Do it. Aaj hee karega tab aage jaa ke kuch milega [If I do this today, it’ll pay off tomorrow],” Ashok said.
Even with that confidence, there is still plenty of improvement ahead. Ashok has experience in domestic cricket with Rajasthan, and his IPL journey has already included time with Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals previously, though he did not receive game time during those stints. This season, though, he finally made his IPL debut and has played six matches so far, taking six wickets. Still, the numbers also show the challenge he faces at this level, with opposition batters often finding ways to score off him—reflected in his economy rate of 10.86. Despite those struggles, he remains focused on getting better and contributing more consistently. “I had a dream to play [at the highest level], and I feel it is steadily being fulfilled. Obviously, the best is yet to come; I am just learning to contribute to the team, but I am putting in all my effort,” he stated.
On Saturday, Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals again, this time at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, a venue where Ashok has spent a fair amount of time playing cricket. With his pace already causing problems and the next step being sharper execution of the correct lines and lengths, the contest could offer him another chance to make a stronger impact—perhaps even the kind that turns “possible” into a defining moment for his season.
