India pacer Prasidh Krishna played an integral role in Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) success during the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), taking 19 wickets and finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker for his side behind Yuzvendra Chahal. However, Krishna has been ruled out for the upcoming IPL due to injury.
To fill the gap left by Krishna, RR have brought in Sandeep Sharma as a like-to-like replacement for his base price of INR 50 lakh. Sandeep is one of the most senior bowlers in the tournament, with over 100 wickets and ten seasons of experience in the IPL. He has previously played for Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and will now join RR for the first time.
Sandeep’s impressive performances during his time with the Mohali-based franchise led to him receiving India call-ups, where he played two T20Is and took one wicket. His best performance came in his final season with Punjab, taking 17 wickets in 13 matches. Overall, he has taken 114 wickets in 104 IPL games.
Despite being an integral part of SRH, Sandeep’s appearances in the starting XI took a blow after the 2020 season. He played just seven matches in 2021 and five in 2022. As a result, SRH did not retain him, and he went unsold at the 2023 IPL Auction. However, RR will be hoping that Sandeep can use his experience to make a valuable contribution to the team.
On the other hand, Krishna has been struggling with long-standing issues with his back, which has limited his appearances with the Indian team over the past year. The Royals had confirmed in February this year that he would miss the entire season of IPL owing to surgery. His absence will undoubtedly be felt by the team, but they will hope that Sandeep can step up and fill the void left by him.
