IPL 2023 auction proved to be a massive event as it witnessed three of the most expensive players in the auction history of the cash-rich league in one single edition. While a few lives were made on Friday, December 23 in Kochi, some players received life-changing amounts, and there were some bargain buys as well on the other hand and broken hearts as well. Some of the biggest international names including Mohammad Nabi, and Rassie van der Dussen and IPL veterans like Sandeep Sharma and Shreyas Gopal too didn’t find any takers.
Sandeep Sharma has been one of the consistent performers in the IPL since his debut in the tournament in 2013 playing for the then Kings XI Punjab. Sharma has been one of the best powerplay bowlers in the history of the IPL and then later on developed death-bowling skills as well to become a handy all-phase pacer. Recently, he is coming off a 7-wicket haul in Ranji Trophy playing for Chandigarh against Madhya Pradesh and is doing whatever he can, but was left heartbroken when none of the 10 franchises went for him.
Speaking to Cricket.com, Sharma said, “I’m shocked and disappointed. I don’t know why I went unsold. I’ve done well whichever team I had played for and genuinely thought some team would bid for me. To be honest, I was not expecting this. Don’t even know where it has gone wrong. In domestic cricket, I have been performing well. In the Ranji Trophy, last round, I took seven wickets. I did so well in Syed Mushtaq Ali.
“I have always strived to be consistent in my bowling. And that’s the only thing in my hands. I can’t control selection or non-selection. If a chance comes then good, or else, I have to keep doing good work,” a hurt Sharma further said.
In 10 seasons he has played in the league, Sharma has taken 114 wickets at an economy of 7.77 and is currently 13th on the list of leading wicket-takers in the tournament ahead of the likes of Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan and Axar Patel. With injuries so frequent in the IPL given it’s a long tournament and there are some tired bodies out there considering the congested scheduling, Sharma might be on the franchises’ horizons when it comes to that, given the experience and quality he possesses.
