Sandeep Sharma: It was a dream come true to play alongside Virender Sehwag
Sandeep Sharma was one of the revelations of IPL 7 and his consistent line and length troubled the world’s best, leading to him receiving praise from all quarters. In an interview with CricketNext, the 21-year old mentioned Virender Sehwag as his favourite player. He further went on to say that Sehwag even helped him with his bowling in Kings XI Punjab.
“Virender Sehwag is my favorite player since childhood. I was very excited when Viru Paaji was roped in by Kings XI Punjab this year as it was a dream come true for me to play alongside him. He has got an amazing mind setup, stays very calm in pressure situations.
“The best part about him is that he is always down to earth despite being one of the best players of the game. He is always smiling no matter what happens. I personally learnt many things from him - like performing in crunch situations, doing the basics right, etc,” said the right-arm pacer from Punjab.
“Viru Paaji is a big morale booster on and off the field. When I used to get hit by a batsman, he would come to me and say, ‘It's okay. Don't get intimidated. You are getting hit on good deliveries, keep bowling those and you will get your man.’ He would always push you hard, crack jokes to relieve the pressure off you. This kind of support is valuable when you play international cricket.
“His pep talks really helped a lot. Whenever you are down and need somebody to boost you up... Viru Paaji is the one to consult. You can feel the positive vibes while talking to him. He was a great asset to the team,” said the bowler who picked up 18 wickets at this IPL season with a strike rate of 13.38.
He dismissed many top international cricketers and when asked about his favourite scalps: “I got Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli out twice in this year's tournament and they remain my most treasured wickets,” mentioned Sandeep.
“Gayle and Kohli are one of the best in the world and as a bowler it is always a big challenge to bowl to them. Their destructive nature can throw all your plans into jeopardy, so to get their wickets was priceless. I am happy to add their wickets to my list and contribute to my team's campaign,” he added.
On his India A call-up to tour Australia where the ICC World Cup 2015 is scheduled for, he said: “I am very excited that I got selected in India A tour to Australia. It's a wonderful opportunity for me and I am happy that it came right after the IPL. I love bowling on Australian pitches and I bowled pretty well in Australia during the 2012 Under-19 World Cup.
“I know the World Cup is around the corner and it's obvious that I want to play for India but for now I will just concentrate on one thing at a time,” concluded the medium pacer.