Ishant Sharma

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

Early life:

Ishant toured England with the India Under – 19s in 2006 and Pakistan in 2006 – 07. He played three youth tests and six youth One Day Internationals for India.

Sharma comes from a Brahmin family. On 10 December 2016, he married Indian basketball player Pratima Singh.

Domestic Career:

• Ishant plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and has taken 68 wickets in 14 first – class games.
• On 15 February 2018, it was officially announced that Ishant will join Sussex CCC for the first two months of the 2018 county season, available from 4 April to 4 June 2018, thus making him the 9th Indian to play for Sussex.

Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Franchise Career:

• On the basis of his strong performance in Australia in 2008, Ishant Sharma was bought for a winning bid of $950,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders in the player auction for the Indian Premier League. This was the highest amount paid for any bowler in the tournament.
• Ishant Sharma played for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League.
• In December 2018, he was bought by the Delhi Capitals in the player auction for the 2019 Indian Premier League.

International Career:

• Test debut: 25 May 2007 for India vs Bangladesh
• ODI debut: 29 June 2007 for India vs South Africa
• T20I debut: 1 February 2008 for India vs Australia
• During the 2008 Test series against Australia in India, Ishant was the leading wicket – taker, with 16, and was named man – of – the – series as India won 2 – 0. He 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.
• He 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.
• He 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.

Major Achievements:

• In 2011, he became the fifth youngest player to take 100 Test wickets.
• Against South Africa in 2013, Ishant Sharma became the fifth quickest Indian to record 100 ODI wickets.
• While being a “rhythm” bowler, he still is considered one of the fastest Indian bowlers having bowled in excess of 150 km/h on several occasions in international cricket as well as the IPL, his fastest being 152.2 km/h bowled to Ricky Ponting on Boxing Day Test in 2011.
• In 2020, the Indian government has awarded him the Arjuna Award to recognize his outstanding achievement in cricket. Sharma was a member of the Indian team that won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
• In February 2021, during the series against England, Ishant took his 300th wicket in Test cricket.
• He is regarded as one of the greatest pacers in Indian Cricket.
• On 15 February 2018, it was officially announced that Ishant will join Sussex CCC for the first two months of the 2018 county season, available from 4 April to 4 June 2018, thus making him the 9th Indian to play for Sussex.
• On the basis of his strong performance in Australia in 2008, Ishant Sharma was bought for a winning bid of $950,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders in the player auction for the Indian Premier League. This was the highest amount paid for any bowler in the tournament.