31 Facts About Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma is an Indian cricketer who has represented India in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

In February 2021, during the series against England, Ishant Sharma took his 300th wicket in Test cricket.

Ishant Sharma is regarded as one of the greatest pacers in Indian Cricket.

Ishant Sharma played three youth tests and six youth One Day Internationals for India.

In May 2007, Ishant Sharma was selected in the Test team for the Bangladesh tour and played as a replacement for the fast bowler Munaf Patel.

Ishant Sharma got a call back in the team in the 3rd Test during Pakistan's tour of India in December 2007 due to injury of India's frontline pacers Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, and Sreesanth.

Ishant Sharma picked up 5 wickets during the third Test in Bangalore.

However, in January 2008 Ishant Sharma was called to represent India to replace the injured Zaheer Khan in the second Test at the SCG.

Ishant Sharma started the first day of the match strongly and was involved in a controversial decision from Steve Bucknor when Andrew Symonds nicked the ball to keeper MS Dhoni off his bowling but was given not out.

Ishant Sharma bowled reasonably in the match, however without much luck.

Ishant Sharma used the pace and bounce of the WACA wicket to trouble the batsmen.

On 10 February 2008, Ishant Sharma bagged four important wickets in the 4th ODI of CB Series against Australia.

Ishant Sharma scalped two important wickets on 18 February 2008 versus Australia in the 7th ODI of CB series.

Ishant Sharma thereby became the first Indian paceman to win such an award in a Test series on Indian soil after Kapil Dev who won the award in 1983.

Ishant Sharma was noted for achieving reverse swing on balls sometimes as young as eight overs, and along with senior opening bowler Zaheer Khan, troubled the touring Australians.

Ishant Sharma took Australian captain Ricky Ponting's wicket three times during the series, and six times in as many Tests, making the Indian press label Ponting as Ishant's bunny.

However, in 2009, Ishant Sharma's form slumped, and he was dropped for the second Test against Sri Lanka, replaced by Sreesanth.

Ishant Sharma provided Laxman with support during an 81-run partnership in which he contributed 31 valuable runs.

India won the first three ODIs, and Ishant Sharma was called into the team for the fourth, his first ODI since August 2010.

The first Test resulted in a win for India and Ishant Sharma took three wickets in each innings.

Ishant Sharma claimed his 100th Test wicket in the second Test, becoming the fifth youngest to reach the landmark; the fixture was the first time he took ten wickets in a match for India.

In March 2012, Ishant Sharma underwent surgery on his ankle which had been troubling him for over a year.

Ishant Sharma finished the 2015 three-match Test series in Sri Lanka with 13 wickets, including a 5-wicket haul in the third Test at SSC.

Ishant Sharma has sustained an injury on his right hand during the World Test Championship final against New Zealand at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

Ishant Sharma finished the series as the second-highest wicket taker, with 18 wickets.

In February 2021, Ishant completed his 100th Test match against England in the third Test match of England Tour of India, at the Motera Stadium Ishant Sharma became only the fourth Indian bowler to play 100 Test matches, Kapil Dev being the only other fast bowler to achieve the feat.

Simons noted height was a factor in the length Sharma bowled, saying "For Ishant to hit the stumps, he has to pitch it fuller, and that means the batsman has more chance of keeping it out".

The former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that the lack of movement in Ishant Sharma's bowling discouraged him from pitching the ball up so instead, he tends to bowl short.

Manjrekar went further, saying that "for all his talent and commitment he just does not take enough wickets"; when the remark was made in January 2012, Ishant Sharma had a bowling average of nearly 37 from 43 Tests.

Ishant Sharma is probably not bowling at the same pace.

Ishant Sharma played for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League.