The Indian Premier League has been a melting pot of domestic talent since its inception, propelling many underrated and potentially great cricketers to the national spotlight. The IPL is the biggest tournament in India which gives equal opportunity to domestic, national and international players. National team players use IPL as an opportunity to showcase improvement in their game, which can help them get back to the national team. It also helps domestic cricket players display their hitherto unseen skills and catch the attention of selectors. The national team selectors indeed keep a close watch on IPL matches to assess potential players for the Indian cricket team.
While there are many skilled domestic players in the 2020 edition of IPL, one player stands out as being worthy of national fame with his consistent performance: Sandeep Sharma.
The low-profile, medium-pace bowler of Sunrisers’ Hyderabad has proven his mettle by claiming wickets of many experienced batsmen in this edition of IPL. Possessing the ability to consistently deliver excellent bowling performances, Sharma has taken more wickets than the national bowling hero Jasprit Bumrah, and that too at a better average and strike rate when one compares the number of matches the two bowlers have played.
In numbers, Sharma has gathered 108 wickets with an average of 24.02 and strike rate of 18.6 and an economy of 7.75. This is better than how Bumrah has fared in the numbers game, when one compares both the bowlers for the same number of matches played.
Bumrah and Sharma had debuted in the same year – 2013 – with Sharma debuting with King XI Punjab and Bumrah playing for Mumbai Indians since his debut in IPL. The two bowlers specialize in different bowling styles, with Bumrah working wonders with the ball in the death overs and Sharma excellently manipulating the new ball.
The graph of Sharma’s performance has peaked during the Power Play overs, his skills most effective against the opening partnerships of many teams. Bumrah, on the other hand, has rescued his team from facing defeat in the death overs of many matches.
Sharma’s bowling accuracy comes to the fore with the fact that the bowler has claimed the crucial wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli seven times, which is the greatest number of times the batting ace has been dismissed by any bowler in the IPL. Seasoned international players such as Indian vice-captain and Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma and West Indies powerhouse Chris Gayle have also been dismissed by Sharma many times in the current IPL season. Gayle, who is known for his power hitting and quick run-making abilities, has an average of only 10.25 against Sharma.
Even after surpassing veteran bowler Zaheer Khan as the most successful Powerplay Bowler in IPL, Sharma has stayed humble and dedicated to the sport of cricket. The bowler recently reached his milestone of 100th IPL wicket and has got 13 wickets from 11 matches this season for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The bowler has been pivotal in the consistent performance of his team and is at the peak of his career right now. Sharma, who is currently focusing hard on his IPL performance, is hopeful that someday his bowling skills will get him selected in the Indian Cricket Team.
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