Senior India pacer Ishant Sharma had gone unsold in the IPL 2022 mega-auction; the 33-year-old veteran didn’t find any bidders at his base price of 1.5 crore. However, on Wednesday, Ishant made a surprise entry to the IPL 2022.
Not on the field, but Ishant Sharma was seen cheering on the virtual guest box during the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders that was taking place at the DY Patil Stadium.
Ishant Sharma has represented a plethora of teams in the IPL – Delhi Capitals, Deccan Chargers, Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rising Pune Supergiant – since 2008. However, the last season, when he was with the Capitals, might perhaps have been the last time that he was seen in the IPL.
Fans reacted in shock seeing the senior Indian pacer Ishant Sharma, who was dropped from the Test team ahead of the Sri Lanka series, in the virtual guest box in the IPL and not on the field.
Frands Yeh Ishant Sharma Hi Hai Na????
Feel For Him??Ek Time Pr India Ka Best Bowler Tha pic.twitter.com/2tFd0LbXI2
— Chinmay Shah (@chinmayshah28) March 30, 2022
Ayoo WTF?!!?? Ishant Sharma?
Unreal Downfall Man ???@ImIshant #RCBvsKKR #IshantSharma #IPL2022 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/2wrM9T5wJE
— Peaceful Indian (@Peacefulndian) March 31, 2022
Yo! As we all are happy for the likes of Umesh Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, Kuldeep Yadav who are having a redemption of form this IPL..I feel for Ishant Sharma missing out, did well in games he played for Delhi in last couple of season should have been in ground not on screen. #IPL 22 pic.twitter.com/PmNoWruyAU
— Midhun Roy (@MidhunRoyMR) March 31, 2022
Wait… Is it THE Ishant Sharma in that “Virtual Guest Box”????#IPL #RCBvKKR pic.twitter.com/haXtYs3w25
— Avinash Ramachandran (@TheHatmanTweets) March 30, 2022
Ishant Sharma why bruh ??? pic.twitter.com/krVJXSQc1g
— Sattu (@Sattu87486557) March 30, 2022
Why the hell was Ishant Sharma on that big screen? ??
— Arjun Dev (@arjun19dev) March 30, 2022
am i hallucinating or was ishant sharma in that filler on the big screen….
— Vibhu (@iamvibhu04) March 30, 2022
Ishant Sharma was seen in the virtual guest box ??#IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/pqeifHybEF
— That Cricket Guy (@somecricketguy) March 31, 2022
Ishant Sharma has taken a total of 72 wickets in 93 IPL matches. He was a regular in the eleven in the first half of his career, however, in the past few years, he’s had faded away from white-ball cricket, at the same time, his red-ball game improved significantly and was India’s senior-most pacer until he was dropped from the eleven and then from the squad altogether.
With a battery of young fast bowlers coming up in the past couple of years, it will be really difficult for Ishant to make a comeback to the Test side, especially given that India play only one away Test – in England in July – for the remaining of the WTC cycle.
But, he goes out – when he does – as only the second Indian pacer after Kapil Dev to have featured in 100 Tests; in 105 Tests, the lanky seamer bagged 311 wickets at an average of 32.
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