Exclusive | How One Phone Call Changed Life Of Rajasthan Royals Pacer Sandeep Sharma
On October 31, all the IPL teams submitted their final retention list with Rajasthan Royals retaining six players. Sandeep Sharma was one of them. The right arm medium pacer was relaxing at his home when he learned about the retention. “I was just sitting at home only and then I got a call from the Rajasthan Royals CEO as he said that we are looking to retain you. It was a very emotional moment for me as you know two years ago, I went unsold and it was the Rajasthan Royals who gave me the chance to play again. I have had a terrific journey with the Rajasthan-based franchise so far,” Sandeep told ZEE NEWS in an exclusive conversation.
Sandeep has had a topsy-turvy IPL career. Despite performing well every season, he went unsold in the IPL 2023. But then one phone call turned his entire career. “When I went unsold in the IPL 2023, I got a call from Sanju Samson saying that I might play for Rajasthan Royals as there were a few injuries in their squad. Sanju said that he was sure that I would do good if given a chance. He showed a lot of faith in me. Sanju also stated that I should continue my training. I had a very positive conversation with Sanju Samson. After some time, I was asked to join Rajasthan Royals’ camp as pacer Prasidh Krishna got injured. This is how my journey started with the Rajasthan Royals”, Sandeep said.
Recently, former India cricketer Rahul Dravid was appointed as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2025. On being asked about the team’s approach under the new coach, Sandeep said, “See, it’s too early to comment on that as the camp has not been started yet. We have not discussed the plan as of now. Once the players start coming, we will start the camp, and then we will discuss it. Rahul Dravid sir has joined the team as a coach and he has his own way of approaching the game. Every team has a flavour of playing cricket and at Rajasthan Royals, our strength is the fighting spirit. As a team, Rajasthan has been known for pushing and grooming young talents.”
Under the leadership of Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals have played very well in the last few years. They have made it to the playoffs three times under the captaincy of Samson alongside playing in the finals in the IPL 2022. “Sanju Samson is very good as a captain. I have been playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for 12 years now and I have never seen a captain like Sanju Samson. I have played under a lot of captains but Sanju is the best. The best thing about Sanju is whenever he is under pressure, he never transfers it to bowlers or batters. He soaks all of it single-handedly. Most of the captains transfer their pressure to bowlers or batters but Sanju never does that. Also, Sanju is very good with the man management, be it seniors or juniors, he is cool with everyone”, Sandeep told ZEE NEWS.
In his 12-year-long IPL career, Sandeep Sharma has dismissed Virat Kohli 7 times. Reflecting on the same, the 31-year-old pace bowler said, “No, I never had any banter with Virat Kohli. I have been quite lucky because if you see all those dismissals, 4 times he got out because of the umpire’s wrong decision and on the poor deliveries. 3 times, I got him out on my merit.”
One of the biggest turning points of Sandeep’s career transpired back during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. It was MS Dhoni who was batting and Sandeep was asked to bowl that over. Even after getting smashed for two sixes in the over, Sandeep managed to help Rajasthan Royals, secure a 3-run win. “My plan was to bowl Yorkers only. I was practicing Yorkers in the training session and wanted to execute in the match also. But you know how good MS Dhoni is, the moment you make any mistake, he will punish you. He smashed me for two sixes and then I decided to ball from round the wicket. Since Dhoni was expecting Yorkers from me, I decided to ball a back-of-a-length delivery and it worked for me. We ended up winning the game also. I think that was one of the biggest turning points in my career”, Sandeep confided.
“One thing that I love about MS Dhoni is after the match is over, he stays on the ground and talks to every player who is around him. He keeps things very simple. Once he told me, if you are looking to execute anything on the ground, do not get vulnerable, always be confident. This is the one thing that still helps me”, he said to ZEE NEWS.
Recently, Sandeep posted a video on his Instagram handle where he was spotted running at the speed of 32.45 km/h. He spoke about the same and said, “See, as a sportsman, you need to be disciplined. You should take care of your body. Sleep well, and eat well in order to achieve your goals. I have been doing the same for a very long time now and I think it helps me a lot. I always look for smart practice as in whatever you want to execute in the match, you should practice the same in the nets also.”
After being asked if he still harbours on playing for India, the Rajasthan Royals’ pacer said, “Obviously, as long as any cricketer is playing, they look to play for their country. I can only do my bit by practicing hard, keep following the process and I think I am doing all of it. Now, it is up to the selectors whether they feel I am deserving or not. If it happens, it is good or if it does not, then I am somebody who will never get frustrated.”
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