The Sandeep Sharma Story: From Going Unsold In IPL Auction To Stopping The MS Dhoni Onslaught

The stage was set for yet another MS Dhoni masterclass at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Thursday. With Chennai Super Kings (CSK) needing 54 runs from 18 balls, the scale was slightly tipped towards Rajasthan Royals but the home crowd's roar at the MA Chidambaram Stadium told a different story. Dhoni was at the crease and the CSK fans were brimming with confidence that ‘Thala' will weave his magic once again. 14 runs came from the 18th over and 19 runs from the 19th over as the equation kept getting better for CSK. With Dhoni hitting sixes for fun, it seemed like the match was headed for only one finish. It was as if a fairytale involving one of Chennai's favourite sons was unfolding in front of a packed crowd of yellow-jersey wearing die-hard fans but sadly, no one seemed to have given the script to Sandeep Sharma.

Sharma, who was handed the responsibility to bowl the final over, is not new to the tournament. The pacer from Patiala made his IPL debut way back in 2011 and over the years, he has developed a reputation of being a dependable but inconsistent asset. While his years with Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad saw some brilliant performances, he failed to make himself indispensable.

As a result, it came as little surprise that the 29-year-old did not find any takers in the IPL 2023 auction. Sharma is a kind of bowler who never had express pace but his movement made him a major threat to even the best batters in the world. Even Chris Gayle at the height of his explosive powers sometimes seemed bothered by the consistent movement that Sharma was known for.

The movement continued to pay rich dividends in the domestic circuit, but with the IPL becoming more of a batter's game, teams slowly started moving