Ishant Sharma opens up about MS Dhoni's role in persisting with him despite poor numbers

Team fast bowler Ishant Sharma over the past few years has established himself as one of the stalwarts of the Indian Test bowling line-up. In a decade that has been dominated by the wickets taken by spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, the lanky Delhi pacer has stood out despite the emergence of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. However, before being India's go-to man overseas, Ishant Sharma went through a lean patch and the fact that he has played close to a 100 Test matches for India is something that had many fans dumbfounded. 

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Ishant Sharma reveals MS Dhoni backed him despite poor form 

Speaking on ESPNCricinfo's Cricketbaaz, Ishant Sharma revealed that former India captain MS Dhoni always backed him despite his middling numbers during his reign. The CSK skipper quite famously used the Delhi pacer as a buffer option and Sharma was glad to carry his role to perfection without caring about numbers and statistics. Ishant Sharma, in the interview, said that despite his average numbers, MS never told him that he'll be dropped even after his first 50-60 Tests.

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The 31-year-old honestly revealed that he doesn't understand numbers like average and strike rate despite playing 97 Tests for Team India. Ishant Sharma said that he never really bothered about statistics and did only what the captain asked him to do. He said that it doesn't matter to him if his average is close to 37. His communication with the captain and his role is key, which is why MS Dhoni backed him. Ishant Sharma has played in 97 Tests since making his debut in 2007, picking up 297 wickets at an average of 32.39. The Delhi pacer has also played 80 ODIs for India, picking up 115 wickets. 

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IPL dates: Ishant Sharma, MS Dhoni in IPL 2020

Ishant Sharma is all set to play for the Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL 2020. The cash-rich tournament was originally scheduled to begin in March was postponed amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The IPL 2020 will now be played in UAE behind closed doors from September 19 according to reports. The capitals would hope that Sharma can replicate his red-ball performances in the shortest format of the game as they look to end their title drought.

Meanwhile, MS Dhoni will return to captain the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dhoni will be making a comeback to competitive cricket having taken a sabbatical since July 2019, after India's semi-final loss to New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup. 

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(Image Courtesy: icc-cricket.com)