Former Australia pacer Brett Lee praised Sandeep Sharma for his outstanding performance against Chennai Super Kings on April 12, 2023.
Sandeep Sharma Went Unsold And was Roped in as a Replacement Player
Sandeep Sharma’s went unsold in IPL 2023 Auction and left everyone shocked. Even Sandeep Sharma stated that he was “shocked and disappointed” after failing to make it into a team during the IPL 2023 Auction.
Sandeep Sharma was later roped in by Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for Prasidh Krishna at his base price of INR 50 Lakh. Sandeep Sharma made an unforgettable moment in the IPL by defending 21 runs in the last over against the mighty MS Dhoni.
CSK vs RR Match Overview
Speaking of the match, Rajasthan Royals pulled a final ball victory. Winning the toss, CSK chose to bowl first. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler opened the inning. Tushar Deshpande bagged the first wicket by dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for 10 runs. But Jos Buttler and Padikkal made a 77 runs partnership for the next victory.
Ravindra Jadeja broke the threatening partnership by dismissing Padikal for 38 runs. With Hetmyer’s unbeaten 30 runs off 18 balls, RR scored 175 runs for 8 wickets loss.
CSK made a struggling start while chasing the 175 runs target. CSK star batter Ruturaj Gaikwad lost his wickets for just 8 runs. Though CSK’s top order made a decent game, their middle-order batters struggled against the RR’s bowlers and failed to rotate the strike.
Finally, Jadeja and Dhoni were given the task of chasing the target in the death overs. CSK were in need of 59 runs off 24 balls the duo managed to score 155 runs from 19 overs. CSK were in need off 21 runs in the final over.
Sandeep Sharma bowled the final over with MS Dhoni on strike. Dhoni smashed a back-to-back six off the 2nd and 3rd delivery of the over. With four runs required off the final ball, Sandeep Sharma bowled a yorker outside offside which Dhoni failed to connect.
With one of the greatest finishers on the strike, CSK lost the match by just 3 runs and broke the hearts of millions.
Brett Lee Praised Sandeep Sharma
Praising on the 29-year-old’s impressive performance, Brett Lee said: “I like what he said in his post-match interview about how over the wicket wasn’t working, so he came around the wicket. But you’re right. It’s right within his arc, that sweet spot, and if he missed it by an inch, it would have gone for six.
Full credit to Sandeep Sharma, bowling with a wet ball to MS Dhoni who is on fire, they’ve got the whole crowd against them. He closed out the game under pressure and that is absolutely hats off to him to win by three runs.”
RP Singh Impressed by Sandeep Sharma
Former India cricketer RP Singh was impressed by Sharma’s final-over execution, especially after the poor start he got off to in it.
“It started with two wides and then a dot ball, and then we got to see two sixes as well. When the sixes were hit, the pressure was bound to catch up. At that time, you had to back yourself.
We have heard the same thing from Dhoni he will capitalize on every mistake a bowler makes and punish him with a six. He always puts that pressure on the bowler, so imagine the mental state Sandeep Sharma was in. He knew that this batter will hit sixes if I make even the smallest mistake. Executing it the way he did is something that should be recognized.”
Anil Kumble Praises MS Dhoni
Meanwhile, former India Test captain Anil Kumble was happy to see Dhoni perform well, saying: “I thought it was the perfect script for MS Dhoni there. In his 200th match as the captain of CSK. He was there for the last ball with six needed. If it was two or three inches slightly shorter, I think he would’ve done it. It was the perfect script. It was wonderful to see someone like MS Dhoni do it even now.”
Rajasthan Royals who are currently at the top of the points table will play their next game against Gujarat Titans on April 16 in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
