Right-arm pacer Sandeep Sharma has been signed by Rajasthan Royals (RR) as a replacement for injured pacer Prasidh Krishna for the upcoming season of IPL.
Picked at his base price of Rs 50 lakh, Sandeep is one of the most senior bowlers in the tournament and has scalped 114 wickets from 104 IPL matches. He has featured in the cash-rich league since 2013, averaging 26.33 at an economy rate of 7.77 and is best known for his ability to swing the ball both the ways.
The right-arm pacer featured for Punjab Kings (PBKS) between 2013-2017, before spending the IPL seasons 2018-2021 at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Sandeep then made a comeback to Punjab for the 2022 season of the tournament, before going unsold at the mini-auction later in the year.
Notably, Sandeep was a member of the India U19 team which won the 2012 Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in Australia. He also picked four wickets in the final.
Sandeep also played two T20Is for India in 2015 on a tour of Zimbabwe, picking one wicket.
Meanwhile, PBKS have signed uncapped Australian all-rounder Matthew Short as a replacement for English player Jonny Bairstow, who has been ruled out of IPL 2023 as he is yet to fully recover from a freak leg injury, where he broke his leg and dislocated his ankle after slipping on a golf course in September last year.
Significantly, IPL 2023 will start on March 31, with defending champions Gujarat Titans taking on four-time winners Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.