India A have turned to raw pace again. Late on Tuesday, selectors called up Gujarat Titans quick Ashok Sharma for the one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka after Yudhvir Singh pulled up sore. simple headline, fairly big change to the bowling group, and, yes, another reminder of how fragile fast-bowling bodies can be.
Key facts first. Yudhvir, the 29-year-old from Jammu & Kashmir, did not play any of India A’s first three matches in Dambulla. During training, however, he “reported discomfort in his right shoulder while bowling on 13th June and also experienced similar pain earlier during a fielding session on 11th June,” the BCCI said. The same release added, word for word: “The BCCI medical team, after consultation with a specialist, recommended that Yudhvir undergo a graduated rehabilitation programme under the supervision of the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) to achieve a full recovery from the right rotator cuff injury.”
That diagnosis has opened the door for 23-year-old Ashok, who rattled the IPL speed guns this year at 154.2kph. He flies in today and, if paperwork is sorted, could be available against Afghanistan A tomorrow. India A need a result there; two defeats from three, including a slightly chaotic Super Over loss to Sri Lanka A on Monday, have left their final-berth hopes hanging.
Ashok’s rise has been on the brisk side. He dominated the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last winter – 22 wickets in ten matches, economy 9.25, decent for the format – and that haul more or less forced Gujarat Titans to give him a go. The IPL numbers, six wickets at 10.85 per over, look harsh, yet scouts liked the heavy length he found and the fact he can shift the ball both ways. “He’s still learning,” one senior Titans coach said last month, “but there’s genuine heat there and a willingness to bowl the tough overs.”
A change of domestic allegiance is also in motion. Rajasthan have granted the seamer a no-objection certificate, so he is set to represent Gujarat in the 2026-27 Ranji season. It is an unusual move, though hardly unprecedented; Ashok reckons the flat Ahmedabad pitches will make him work on skills beyond pace.
For context, his first-class sample is small – 14 wickets from four matches – and the List A return, 13 in seven games, is similarly modest. Even so, India A management believe the tri-series, played with the white ball over fifty overs, is a tidy place to test new fast bowlers. A senior selector summed it up quietly on the phone: “We’d love to see him handle long spells, not just the four-over sprints of T20.”
Back to the immediate concern: Yudhvir’s shoulder. Rotator-cuff injuries can be stubborn and often need careful loading work rather than injections or quick fixes. The Centre of Excellence staff in Bengaluru will now oversee that tailored programme; best-case scenario, he returns for the home A fixtures in September.
Meanwhile, captain Abhimanyu Easwaran suddenly has some extra ball-speed to play with. Whether that turns India A’s campaign around is another question, but at least the group retains balance: three right-arm quicks, a pair of left-arm finger spinners, one leg-break option and enough batting depth down to No. 8.
The tri-series final is on Sunday. If India A get there, Ashok could yet make an early statement. So, a small reshuffle, no fuss, plenty to watch in the next few days.
