On second thoughts, has the spotlight missed Sandeep Sharma in IPL?
Debut in 2013, represented two franchises, 108 wickets, average of 24.0, SR of 18.6, dismissed Virat Kohli seven times [most by a bowler in IPL]. These are the staggering numbers of a fast bowler in IPL. Yet the 27-year-old has never been under the spotlight ever in his eight-year IPL career. The numbers belong to Sandeep Sharma who has been silently wreaking havoc with his right arm.
Sandeep Sharma in IPL
| Team | Years | Inn | Wkts | Ave | Econ | SR |
| Kings XI Punjab | 2013-17 | 56 | 71 | 22.4 | 7.8 | 17.3 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2018* | 34 | 37 | 27.2 | 7.7 | 21.1 |
*Present Team
Making a debut against his current team, Sandeep picked up a three-wicket haul versus SRH in the 2013 season of IPL. Barring his debut season, he has managed to pick up a minimum of 10 wickets in every edition of IPL.
As a fast bower, his scalps of 108 places him in the fifth position in the leading wicket-takers list. From his debut in 2013 till the current edition of IPL, Sandeep and Bumrah are the only two fast bowlers to pick 100 wickets in the said timeline. This stat alone proves as to how much the limelight has missed him so far.
The Quint
Most wickets by a pacer in IPL
| Player | Inns | Wkts | Ave | Econ | SR |
| Lasith Malinga | 122 | 170 | 19.8 | 7.1 | 16.6 |
| DJ Bravo | 137 | 153 | 24.8 | 8.4 | 17.7 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 121 | 136 | 23.9 | 7.2 | 19.8 |
| Umesh Yadav | 120 | 119 | 30.1 | 8.5 | 21.1 |
| Sandeep Sharma | 90 | 108 | 24.0 | 7.7 | 18.6 |
Sandeep has been the go-to bowler in the first six overs and has found a lot of success in doing so. His impact may not be the same in the middle or in the fag end of the innings. He has picked up wickets in the death overs but has not been able to contain the runs in the process.
Sandeep Sharma – Phase wise bowling in IPL
| Phase | Wkts | Avg | Eco | SR | Dot% |
| 1 to 6 | 53 | 26.2 | 7.0 | 22.4 | 51.6 |
| 7 to 15 | 18 | 27.7 | 7.7 | 21.7 | 32.3 |
| 16 to 20 | 37 | 19.2 | 9.9 | 11.6 | 27.6 |
53 wickets at an economy of 7.0 in overs 1 to 6 is something Sandeep would really be proud of. Almost half his wickets have come in the first six overs. He recently overtook Zaheer Khan and became the highest wicket-taker in overs 1 to 6 in IPL. It is a tight rope to walk when the batsmen are going after you. Either you pick a safe length and contain the run rate or you go aggressive and pay the price for it. Sandeep is one of those bowlers that has managed to walk the tight rope with a dash of meticulousness.
Also Read: On second thoughts, is Umar Gul the greatest T20I bowler ever produced?
Times Now
Most wickets in overs 1 to 6 in IPL
| Player | Wickets |
| Sandeep Sharma | 53 |
| Zaheer Khan | 52 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 48 |
| Umesh Yadav | 45 |
| Dhawal Kulkarni | 44 |
His performance has a straight impact on the match outcome. If Sandeep performs well, his team have a very good chance of winning the match. Out of his 108 wickets, almost 60% have come on a winning note.
Sandeep Sharma bowling in IPL – Based on Match outcome
| Result | Inns | Wickets | Avg | Eco | SR |
| Overall | 90 | 108 | 24.0 | 7.8 | 18.6 |
| In Win | 43 | 64 | 18.7 | 7.2 | 15.6 |
| In Loss | 47 | 44 | 31.8 | 8.3 | 22.9 |
Okay. Here is an unpopular opinion. Sandeep Sharma is on par if not better than Bumrah in IPL. Let’s look at the stats in detail to get the crux of it. Both of them started in 2013 and have played equal number of matches in IPL so far. Sandeep has picked up 108 wickets, three more than the MI speedster. When it comes to average and strike rate, Sandeep takes the lead by a sliver. Not to take anything away from Bumrah, but it is alarming to see a bowler with similar stats as him to not garner a lot of attention.
Also Read: #OST On Second thoughts, is Amit Mishra the greatest IPL spinner?
Sportzwiki Tamil
Sandeep Sharma vs Jasprit Bumrah in IPL
| Player | Inns | Wickets | Average | Economy | SR |
| Sandeep Sharma | 90 | 108 | 24.0 | 7.7 | 18.6 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 90 | 105 | 24.2 | 7.4 | 19.4 |
*stats taken before IPL 2020 playoffs
He has been doing his part for his team silently without much ado. For a player to have 100+ wickets, it is surprising to see that he has got the Man of the Match award only five times. That itself proves for a fact that many of his performances have been overshadowed.
Even though he might not be the most popular or flashy guy in IPL, his numbers are an indication that he is a pillar to any of the team he represents. At the end of the day, he might not raise a lot of eyeballs like his peers do. But he does get the job done without much fanfare, something that he has been doing quite consistently to a lot of people’s surprise.