2 weeks Ago By Shashank Kishore
Sandeep Sharma 's journey with Rajasthan Royals (RR) has been nothing short of a fairy tale. What began as a late entry in 2023 - drafted in as a replacement for the injured Prasidh Krishna - has evolved into a remarkable redemption story after he was one of their retentions ahead of IPL 2025 . Sandeep's redemption has been down to two key developments.
He is no longer just a powerplay specialist reliant on swing - he has evolved into a versatile bowler who can also deliver in the middle overs and at the death. There is also his expanded arsenal: a cross-seam length ball into the pitch that proves effective on two-paced surfaces, and the skill to nail wide yorkers with precision. On Saturday, the first of those variations helped him finish with 2 for 21 in four overs - two at the top and two at the death - as RR defended 205 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) comfortably.
"When I came here two years back, I had a discussion with the management and they told me what they were looking [at] from me," Sandeep said in a press conference after the game. "They told me my role. From there, I started working on myself.
They told me they were not looking at two-three overs from me [upfront], and then when I was back home, I was practicing this. "They started using me after fourth-fifth over, when the ball gets older. And I also started preparing like that.
I think it's a result of good preparation. Obviously, when you want to play, you need to grow, right? That's what I thought, that I needed to grow. I can't ask the captain to give me the new ball all the time.
"If you're playing in a team where [Jofra] Archer is playing, and he's so good with the new ball, and you have to play in the XI, you have to bring something [else] to the table. That's what I did - I went back to my hometown, into the nets and practiced all these deliveries. And I'm so lucky and happy that it's coming off so nicely.
" Sandeep showcased his death-overs mastery in the 17th and 19th overs, blending yorker-length deliveries with cross-seam variations to stifle a well-set Shashank Singh, who has earned his stripes in the IPL as a finisher. His control and execution were on full display as he delivered seven yorkers in those two overs, giving Shashank no room to innovate..
