Sandeep Sharma has picked 114 wickets in 104 matches in IPL since 2013.
The IPL 2023 auction was recently held in Kochi on December 23, which witnessed three of the most expensive players in its auction history. While some players received life-changing deals, some were left with broken hearts as well, and the Indian pacer Sandeep Sharma was one of them.
Sharma has been one of the most consistent performers and one of the best powerplay bowlers in the history of the IPL, but none of the 10 franchises went for him at the IPL 2023 auction, and now the pacer admitted that he is "shocked and disappointed" to not get any buyer for the next season.
Sandeep Sharma was quoted as saying by Cricket.com: “I'm shocked and disappointed. I don't know why I went unsold. I've done well whichever team I had played for and genuinely thought some team would bid for me. To be honest, I was not expecting this. Don't even know where it has gone wrong.”
A hurt pacer further said, “In domestic cricket, I have been performing well. In the Ranji Trophy, last round, I took seven wickets. I did so well in Syed Mushtaq Ali. I have always strived to be consistent in my bowling. And that's the only thing in my hands. I can't control selection or non-selection. If a chance comes then good, or else, I have to keep doing good work.”
Notably, Sandeep has played in 104 IPL matches, where he has taken 114 wickets at an economy rate of 7.77. He is currently 13th on the list of leading wicket-takers in the IPL, ahead of the likes of Zaheer Khan and Akshar Patel.
Despite this, he went unsold at the auction this year, having set a base price of INR 50 lakhs.