International career
Sandeep Sharma's time with the Indian national cricket team was short but notable. He had a strong presence in domestic cricket and the IPL, but his international career consisted of only a few matches. Here is a breakdown of his journey:
- 2015:
Sandeep Sharma made his debut for India in 2015 during the T20 series against Zimbabwe. In his first match, he didn’t take any wickets. In the second match, he managed to take one wicket, but India lost the game. After these two matches, he was dropped from the team. His inconsistent performances led to him not getting another opportunity in international cricket. Despite this, his skills in the IPL did get him attention.
- Under-19 Career:
Sandeep had a much more successful career in Under-19 cricket. He played in two Under-19 World Cups.
- 2010: In the 2010 World Cup, he took 7 wickets in six matches, with an economy rate of 3.16.
- 2012: Sandeep performed even better in the 2012 World Cup, where he took 12 wickets in 6 matches. His economy rate was 3.62. In the final match, he helped India win by dismissing four Australian players. His 12 wickets in the tournament were the most by any Indian bowler, tied with Ravikant Singh.
Though his international career was brief, Sandeep Sharma proved his abilities in youth cricket and domestic competitions. His skill in swinging the ball and bowling accurate yorkers made him a key player at the domestic level.
Leagues Participation
Sandeep Sharma started his IPL career with Kings XI Punjab and quickly became known for his skills.
Indian Premier League
Here's a year-by-year look at his IPL participation:
|
Year
|
Team
|
Notable Performance
|
Price at Auction
|
|
2013
|
Kings XI Punjab
|
Took 3 wickets for 21 runs in debut match against Sunrisers Hyderabad
|
-
|
|
2014
|
Kings XI Punjab
|
Was the leading wicket-taker for Kings XI Punjab and helped the team reach its first IPL final
|
-
|
|
2017
|
Kings XI Punjab
|
Took 3/22, dismissing Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers in a single match
|
-
|
|
2018
|
Sunrisers Hyderabad
|
Bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL auction
|
INR 3.00 Crores
|
|
2022
|
Punjab Kings
|
Rejoined Punjab Kings for the 2022 IPL season
|
INR 1.50 Crores
|
|
2023
|
Rajasthan Royals
|
Joined Rajasthan Royals as an injury replacement for Prasidh Krishna. Played an important role in the team
|
-
|
|
2024
|
Rajasthan Royals
|
Best performance: 5 wickets for 18 runs against Mumbai Indians. Helped win key matches
|
INR 4.00 Crores
|
|
2025
|
Rajasthan Royals
|
-
|
INR 4.00 Crores (Mega Auction)
|
For the 2025 season, Rajasthan Royals bought Sandeep Sharma for INR 4.00 Crores in the IPL Mega Auction. He will continue to play a big role as a bowler, especially in the powerplay and death overs. Sandeep is known for his ability to swing the ball and bowl accurate yorkers.
Sandeep has been one of the top bowlers in powerplay overs, with 55 wickets in IPL history. In the 2024 season, he played 11 matches and took 13 wickets, with an average of 23.92 and an economy rate of 8.18 runs per over. His best performance came against Mumbai Indians, where he took 5 wickets for 18 runs.
Domestic career
Sandeep Sharma first gained attention when he played in the 2010 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand. However, his biggest breakthrough came two years later in the 2012 U-19 World Cup in Australia. Playing for Unmukt Chand’s team, he played a vital role in India's victory. He took four wickets in the final against Australia and finished with 12 wickets, the most by any Indian bowler in the tournament.
After the junior success, Sandeep continued his good form in domestic cricket. In the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy, he was Punjab's top wicket-taker, ending the season as the fifth-highest overall with 42 wickets from 9 matches at an average of 19.41. He also claimed three five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Sandeep again led Punjab in wickets, taking 10 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 20.60. His bowling average in First-Class cricket has remained strong at 26.14.
Records and achievements
Sandeep Sharma has had a remarkable cricket career, especially in the IPL and international tournaments. Here are some of his key records and achievements:
- IPL Career: Played 127 matches and took 137 wickets.
- Best Bowling Performance: Took 5 wickets for 18 runs against Mumbai Indians in the 2024 IPL season.
- 2024 IPL: Played 10 matches for Rajasthan Royals and took 13 wickets.
- 2017 IPL: Took 4 wickets for 20 runs against Delhi Daredevils.
- 2012 U-19 World Cup: Part of the winning India Under-19 team, where he took 12 wickets in 6 matches.
- Quadrangular U-19 Series: Was the highest wicket-taker with 8 wickets in 4 matches in Australia.
- 2023 IPL: Became the second-best bowler in terms of wickets in powerplay overs in IPL history.
Personal life
Sandeep Sharma comes from a modest family in Punjab. He married his long-time girlfriend, Tasha Sathwick, in 2021 after dating for six years. Sandeep was born and grew up in Patiala. His father, Balwinder Sharma, works as an agriculturist, and his mother, Naina Wati, is a homemaker. He has three brothers: Ranjeet Sharma, Jagdeep Sharma, and Shatrughan Sharma. In June 2022, Sandeep and Tasha welcomed their daughter, Sohani, and share pictures of her on their social media.
Finance
As of 2024, Sandeep Sharma's net worth is about $4 million.
Cars and House
Sandeep loves cars and owns a BMW X1, Audi A4, and Mercedes-Benz GLC. He often posts about his cars on social media. He also has a luxurious house in Patiala, Punjab, which is believed to be worth several crores, although details are not public.
Scandals
In 2021, Sandeep faced some controversy when he supported Rihanna’s stance on the farmer protests in India. He tweeted about it but later deleted the post within hours.
Fans
Sandeep Sharma has a strong following. After taking five wickets in an IPL match against Mumbai Indians on April 22, 2024, fans praised his consistent performances. They noted that he often doesn't get the recognition he deserves. In 2023, fans also took notice when Sandeep made a smart move during a match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. He chased down Suryakumar Yadav, grabbed the ball, and held onto it even as he fell to the ground. Sandeep has 160K followers on Instagram.
