‘Shocked and disappointed’ – Indian bowler on being unsold in Indian T20 League 2023 mini-auction

When Madhya Pradesh defeated Chandigarh by an innings in the second round of the Ranji Trophy on December 22, it was a day of immense disappointment for them. With the exception of Ankit Kaushik’s 69 in the second innings, none of their batters even reached 35 in both innings, hence failing to rise to the occasion. Sandeep Sharma, though, was arguably a lone warrior for his team with a seven-wicket haul.

Sandeep was once again in his element. Without being the focus of attention he has been one of the most reliable performers in Indian T20 League history. For years, Sharma kept doing what he does best taking wickets like he’s picking apples out of the garden and doing it with an uncanny amount of composure. However, none of the teams had deemed Sandeep deserving enough on December 23, at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty, when teams were spending money to fill the glaring flaws in their squads.

I’ve done well whichever team I had played: Sandeep

“I’m shocked and disappointed,” a disheartened Sandeep Sharma told Cricket.com. “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.”

In T20s, it has been shown to be impossible to keep your composure while taking wickets. Sandeep, however, has been able to control his costs despite being a prolific wicket-taker, ranking him on par with players like Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, and Bhuvneshwar. He is one of just six pacers in Indian T20 League history with 100+ wickets at an economy rate under 8.00, and only four pacers have greater wickets per innings than him.

“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,” Sandeep said, with a tangible sense of hurt in his voice.