MS Dhoni Never Said We Will Replace You: Ishant Sharma On His Average Performance

Senior bowler Ishant Sharma is a part of the core unit of Indian bowling. He has not been a regular for India in the recent time but proved out to be handy in the longest format. However, a like every cricketer, Ishant Sharma also had his rough patch. But former India captain MS Dhoni still continued to back him.

Recalling the time when Ishant Sharma’s numbers did not favour him much, he said, Dhoni always backed him and even after his first 50-60 Tests, he never said that we are looking for options to replace you. “MS Dhoni (the captain when Sharma’s numbers were middling) always backed me,” Sharma told ESPNCricinfo in a show called ‘cricketbaaz.’

“Even after my first 50-60 Tests, he never said we’ll look for someone to replace you. To tell you the truth, even after playing 97 Tests, I still don’t understand things like average and strike rate! I’ve never bothered about these things.

“If I’m not able to understand them, why should I rely on them? It’s just a number after all. If I am bowling in India and the captain tells me to bowl in a way that I concede only 40 runs in 20 overs and that the spinners will take care of picking up wickets, that’s what is important to me,” the 32-year-old paceman said.

At times in the present, Ishant has also spearheaded the Test bowling unit. He will alos be crucial for the team during their tour Down Under. Incidentally, he is also nearing his 300th Test wicket.

Ishant has picked up 297 wickets in the longest format at an average of 32.39. He has 11 five-wicket hauls to his name.