“Shocked, disappointed… I thought some team would make a sure bid… To be honest, it was not expected at all.” Punjab's medium pacer Sandeep Sharma had expressed his disappointment like this in an interview after being ignored in the December 2022 IPL auction. Sandeep, who had a figure like Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL till a season ago, was saddened by this neglect. Luck somehow brought Sandeep back and then he did what every bowler aspires for.

On March 27, just 4 days before the start of the IPL 2023 season, Rajasthan Royals announced the inclusion of Sandeep Sharma in the team. Sandeep got this opportunity due to the injury of the famous Krishna. The young fast bowler from Rajasthan was ruled out of the entire season due to a famous injury. In such a situation, Sandeep, who has played more than 100 matches in IPL, got his place.

The biggest test in Chepauk
Sandeep needed only this much help from his luck. After this, he had to show his same ability, due to which he was playing for different teams in IPL for so many years and was proving useful. His biggest test was against the legendary Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni at the Chepauk Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Chennai needed 21 runs in the last over and Dhoni was on strike, who is seen in explosive form this season. As Dhoni has said many times before that in the last over the pressure is not on him but on the bowler. Sandeep also showed this pressure and started with two wides. Then the first right ball was a perfect yorker, on which no runs came. Dhoni hit 2 sixes on the next two balls.

Match snatched from Dhoni…
Now 7 runs were needed in three balls, and Sandeep gave only 1-1 runs on 2 consecutive yorkers. Dhoni was on strike on the last ball and only 5 runs were needed. Means a six. Many times in his career, Dhoni, who finished the match on the last ball or with a six, was seen as a contender to do so even at the age of 41. But Sandeep did not let this happen with the third consecutive Yorker and did what very few bowlers could do against Dhoni.