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NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson lauded pacer Sandeep Sharma’s standout performance following the team’s heartbreaking 36-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2, which dashed their hopes of reaching the IPL 2024 final.
Despite the Royals’ overall struggles, Sandeep’s precise swinging deliveries shone through on a night dominated by spinners. The 31-year-old speedster delivered an impressive spell, capturing the wickets of SRH’s power-hitting duo, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen, finishing with figures of 2/25 in his four-over spell.
Samson, who has closely followed Sandeep’s progress throughout the season, praised him as the “next guy” after India’s premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. “I am happy for him. By not being picked in the auctions and coming back as a replacement. The way he bowled, he has delivered. If we look at the numbers, Sandeep Sharma in the last two years, he will be the next guy after Bumrah. He has done a great job,” Samson remarked post-match.
Sandeep’s journey this season has been noteworthy. After going unsold in the previous IPL auction, he was signed by the Royals as a replacement for Prasidh Krishna. From that moment, he emerged as a crucial figure in Rajasthan’s pace bowling setup.
Sandeep ended the season with 13 wickets in 11 matches, maintaining an economy of 8.18 and a strike rate of 17.54.Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, during his commentary, urged the BCCI selectors to consider Sandeep for the national team. He highlighted the often-overlooked consistency of the pacer’s performances, despite the focus on express fast bowlers.
“Whenever someone bowls over 140kmph, we begin salivating, but no one talks about him as an India prospect. Look at the slower bowls, it shows cleverness,” Gavaskar noted.
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