Why No One Talks About Sandeep Sharmas IPL Greatness

The IPL has seen many great bowlers who were eventually able to play for the national team. But if there is one bowler who could be termed as the most underrated in the tournament history, it will definitely be Sandeep Sharma. He holds a good record against several greats such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

The Indian Premier League comes as an opportunity for the players to give their best and eventually make it to the national team. This tournament has helped various players to make their debut for their respective teams, and even India has received several top class stars from the tournament.

But there is a bowler who has remained underrated ever since he started his journey in the IPL. And it is none other than Sandeep Sharma. He has been playing in the IPL since 2013, but has not been able to make his place in the T20I side. Throughout his career, Sandeep has played just two T20Is for the Indian team, which also came back in 2015.

With more than a decade of his last international game, his greatness in the IPL has still not faded. He still continues to dominate in this tournament even against the top batters such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Right now he has been a key wicket-taker for Rajasthan Royals in this campaign, as the team expects him to do well in the remainder of the season.

Here's how Sandeep Sharma has done against the top batters of the tournament.

Rohit Sharma

The battle between Rohit Sharma and Sandeep Sharma has been one-sided. And it is not in the favour of the Hitman, it is Sandeep who has dominated him a number of times. Surely he has changed his IPL teams three times, but his performances have been at his very best in each season.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

Rohit Sharma vs Sandeep Sharma:

• Runs: 38
• Balls: 47
• Wickets: 6
• Average: 6.30

It can be seen that Sandeep Sharma has managed to make even the Hitman struggle in the T20 format. In 2020 alone, he was able to dismiss Rohit Sharma in both games they went against each other. Along with that, it can also be noted that Rohit Sharma has struggled to score runs against Sandeep, due to which his strike rate against him stands below 100.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli and Sandeep Sharma is another battle which the cricket fans love to watch. Even though Sandeep Sharma is not an international bowler such as Jasprit Bumrah or Mitchell Starc, the battle between these two players still feels legendary to the fans to watch. And it is due to the dominance shown by both sides over each other.

Virat Kohli vs Sandeep Sharma:

• Runs: 132
• Balls: 88
• Wickets: 7
• Average: 18.90

It should be noted that Sandeep Sharma is among the bowlers who have dismissed Virat Kohli the most times in the history of the IPL. Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be facing each other tomorrow, and it remains to be seen which one of these two stars of the game are able to get the upper hand.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

In the last IPL season, Sandeep was unable to do well against Virat Kohli, as the King went on to score 28 runs off 14 balls against him. It should also be noted that Sandeep has not dismissed Virat even once since the IPL 2020 season. The only time he managed to dismiss Kohli twice was back in the IPL 2014 season.

Chris Gayle

After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, a batsman who has been troubled the most against Sandeep Sharma is Chris Gayle. Although the Universe Boss has retired from the game, he was dominated by Sandeep Sharma’s bowling masterclass even in his prime time.

Chris Gayle vs Sandeep Sharma:

• Runs: 64
• Balls: 62
• Wickets: 4
• Average: 16

It can be seen that Sandeep Sharma’s bowling masterclass has been difficult to tackle by the top class batsmen even in the IPL. He has also dismantled other batsmen such as Suryakumar Yadav, David Warner, Ishan Kishan, and a lot more, who have been the key stars of the tournament.