Ishant Sharma

Ishant Vijay Sharma, a tall, lanky pace bowler with a thin frame and a head full of hair flinging all over the place, steaming into bowl to arguably Australia’s one of the finest batsman Ricky Ponting and continuously bouncing him out on the pacy wickets of Australia is possibly the most vivid memory the cricket lovers have of Ishant Sharma when he burst onto the scene.

The tallest Indian to have ever represented Indian cricket at the international level, Ishant Vijay Sharma uses his height to the maximum advantage. Standing at 6 ft 4 in, he is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who plays as a right-handed batsman.

He crossed the 100 wicket mark in just 70 matches and then crossed 150 wickets in 53 tests, becoming the 11th Indian bowler to do so. He went on to win the Man of the Series on two occasions with one coming in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test Series in 2008/09 and the other in India in the West Indies Test Series in 2011.

Ishant Sharma: Along the Years

Ishant Sharma Records

• Fifth fastest to 100 Test wickets

• Second slowest to 250 Test wickets

• Equaled Kapil Dev's record of taking the most wickets by an Indian bowler in England, after crossing the mark of 250 wickets

• Ishant Sharma became the 4th Indian bowler to play 100 test matches, the only other pacer being Kapil Dev

• 5th in the list of most ducks in Test career

Ishant Sharma Awards and Accolades

• Won the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2020

Ishant Sharma Career

Indian cricketer Ishant Sharma was born on September 2, 1988, and he has represented India in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Being 6 feet 4 inches tall, he bowls fast-medium right-arm. Sharma received a call-up to the Indian squad for the 2006–07 South Africa tour at the age of 18. The bowler came to be known by his nickname Lambu because of his height and slim build throughout his Under-19 career. He became the fifth-youngest player to take 100 wickets in a Test match in 2011. Ishant Sharma became the fifth fastest Indian to get 100 ODI wickets against South Africa in 2013.

He continues to be acknowledged as one of the best fast bowlers in Indian history, having bowled at speeds over 150 km/h in both the IPL and international cricket on multiple occasions. His fastest ball came on Boxing Day Test in 2011 when he bowled at 152.2 km/h to Ricky Ponting. He was awarded the 2020 Arjuna Award from the Indian government in recognition of his exceptional cricket career. Sharma was a member of the Indian squad that won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Ishant Sharma Domestic Career

Ishant Sharma made his Ranji Trophy debut for Delhi at the age of 18 and rapidly climbed the stairs of success. 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 and instantly grabbed the attention of Indian selectors and went on to play for India’s senior team. Ishant whilst playing for Delhi has taken 486 wickets in 154 first-class games so far.

Ishant Sharma IPL Career

Ishant Sharma has donned jersey’s of several IPL franchises in his 13-year long career. From Kolkata Knight Riders to Deccan Chargers to Sunrisers Hyderabad to Rising Pune Supergiant to Kings XI Punjab to now his home state Delhi Capitals, Ishant arguably has seen every nook and cranny of IPL.

The constant changing of the teams also depicts that Ishant never truly aced the format of IPL. However, with Ishant starting to pitch the ball further up in Tests and seeing a considerable improvement in performance, the year 2020 could be a breakout year for him in the IPL.

He went unsold in the 2018 IPL auctions. Following an eventful year with the Indian Test team, Sharma gave franchise owners a renewed belief, and Delhi Capitals ultimately signed him. He played in thirteen IPL games and claimed thirteen wickets at an economy rate of 7.58. His outstanding performance earned him a contract extension with the Delhi Capitals. Sadly, after only one game for his side, Ishant Sharma sustained a rib cage injury that prevented him from competing for the rest of the tournament.

Ishant Sharma then sustained another injury in 2021, this time a strain in his heel. Sharma had an economy rate of minimal over 8 runs per over and took just one wicket in the three matches he played in.

Due to his dismal performance, he went unsold at the 2022 IPL Mega Auction. But after being acquired by the Delhi Capitals for INR 50 lakhs in the 2023 IPL auction, Sharma rebounded rather well and displayed glimpses of his former self, taking 10 wickets at an economy of 8.24.

Ishant Sharma International Career

Ishant Sharma has played in 105 Test matches so far in his career, taking 311 wickets at an average of 32.41, with a best individual figures of 7 for 74.

Ishant Sharma appeared in 80 One-Day International (ODI) matches to date, taking 115 wickets at an average of 30.98, with a best individual figure of 4 for 34.

In his 14 T20 appearances so far, Ishant Sharma has claimed 8 wickets at an average of 50.00, with his best individual performance coming from 2 for 34.

Ishant Sharma ODI Career

Ishant Sharma made his ODI debut against South Africa on 29 June 2007 and had a rather sedate start to his limited-overs career.

In the ODI series that followed Ishant’s breakout Test series, the Delhi-pacer showed his true prowess in the shorter format. In one match he even delivered a ball that clocked 153 km/h. With 14 wickets in that series, Ishant was India’s leading wicket-taker and one of the reasons for their triumphant campaign (CB series).

However, the wrist positioning problems, injuries and dwindling pace caused him to lose his spot in the team. In limited-overs cricket, his form dipped dramatically. He became a liability who bowled too many hit-me balls that were carted all around the park.

Perhaps his worst performance in this period was being hit for 30 runs in an over by James Faulkner towards the tail end of an ODI against Australia, at Mohali in 2013, when India had almost clinched the game.

Ishant last played an ODI for India in 2016 and due to the strong competition has not been able to break into the team.

Ishant Sharma Test Career

At the age of 18, Ishant Sharma was called to join the Indian squad for the tour of South Africa in 2006–07. However, after receiving the call and organising travel arrangements, it was decided not to send him on the tour.

In May 2007, Ishant was selected in the test team for the Bangladesh tour and played as a replacement for the fast bowler Munaf Patel. He played in the second test where he bowled just three overs including one maiden and conceded five runs without taking a wicket.

A lot has been discussed of Ishant Sharma’s now-famous spell against Australia’s Ricky Ponting in that Test at Perth on India’s tour to Australia in late 2007. It was a career-turning bowling spell where Ishant, a 19-year-old, gave Ponting a tough time in the middle by bowling outside off-stump and finally had him caught at slip. He got Ponting out 6 times in 7 innings.

After a good 2008, where he picked up 38 wickets in 13 Tests, his form dipped as he could only manage 43 wickets from 15 Tests in the next two years. He would deliver a great spell here and a ripper of a delivery there, but the consistency that was not to be seen.

He made a return in 2011, picking up 43 wickets in 12 Tests with two five-wicket hauls – both coming on India’s tour to the West Indies. In fact, with 22 wickets in 3 matches, he was the highest wicket-taker of the series and it appeared then that Ishant was back in the flow.

However, an ankle injury surfaced and Ishant Sharma’s resurgence was cut short. But lately Ishant Sharma 2.0 has surprised everybody with his performance.

Between 2015 and 2017, Ishant took a wicket once every 64 full-length deliveries. But since 2018, he has been striking once every 26 times he pitches it up.

Ishant's average in this period is better than that of Kagiso Rabada, James Anderson, Trent Boult, Stuart Broad and Josh Hazlewood.

In the first Test match of India's 2019 West Indies tour, Ishant claimed his ninth Test 5-wicket haul in August 2019, with figures of 5/43 in the opening innings. Ishant scored his first Test Cricket half-century while batting at No. 9 in the second Test match of the same series. Ishant finished his 100th Test match against England in February 2021 at the Motera Stadium during the third Test match of England's tour to India. The only other fast bowler to play 100 test matches is the legendary Kapil Dev, and Ishant Sharma became just the fourth Indian bowler to achieve this. During the series against England in February 2021, Ishant claimed his 300th wicket in Test cricket.

Ishant Sharma T20I Career

Despite having all the ingredients to be a gun T20 bowler, Ishant Sharma never really got going in the international T20 arena. With over a 13 year-long international career, Ishant Sharma has only played 14 T20Is and taken 8 wickets at an average of 50.

Ishant Sharma Captaincy

As of 2024 Ishant Sharma has not captained the Indian national team or any IPL franchise in his career so far.

Ishant Sharma Under-19 Career

Throughout his under-19 career, Ishant Sharma represented India in three youth tests and six youth One Day Internationals. He toured to Pakistan in 2006–07 and England in 2006–07 with the India Under-19 squad. In 2006, he also made his Delhi first-class debut against Tamil Nadu, claiming four wickets in the opening session.

Ishant Sharma Family

Ishant Sharma nicknamed Lambu was born in Delhi on 2 September 1988 to Vijay Sharma and Grisha Sharma. He is married to former India women basketball player Pratima Singh. The Delhi-pacer received the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2020 for his contribution to Indian cricket over the last 13 years.

Ishant Sharma Net Worth

Ishant Sharma’s net worth is estimated to be around INR 110 crore. He has amassed his immense net worth from his professional cricketing career since 2007. IPL contracts, brand endorsement and business ventures. Delhi Capitals signed him for 50 lakhs in the 2023 auctions and retained him for the same amount for the 2024 IPL season.

Ishant Sharma House

Ishant Sharma resides in the nation's capital, New Delhi with his family in a luxurious apartment complex. In addition, he owns a number of real estate holdings spread over India.

Ishant Sharma Cars

The Indian pacer drives a sleek Audi RX5, a high-end compact SUV. In addition, he owns a Volkswagen Polo and an Audi S5 sports car.