Sandeep Sharma has been part of the IPL for over a decade - delivering consistent spells for Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals. With 146 wickets in 137 matches, he has become a seasoned performer in the league - even if his India career was limited to just two T20Is.
Recently, the Chandigarh-born pacer sat down with CricTracker for an exclusive chat where he revisited an unforgettable behind-the-scenes moment with Punjab Kings co-owner Preity Zinta - a story that involved Ravi Shastri, Axar Patel and a surprising Player of the Match award.
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How Preity Zinta influenced IPL MOTM decision
Recalling a game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sandeep said he had dismissed three giants of the era: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle with the new ball.
Despite his impact, the Player of the Match was initially set to go to Axar Patel, who had picked up two wickets and scored runs in a low-scoring contest. Sandeep revealed that Preity Zinta personally urged Ravi Shastri - part of the presentation team that day, to recognise his pivotal spell instead.
"Preity ma'am told Ravi Shastri that the Player of the Match should be Sandy, as he has picked three big wickets. And actually, they gave me the Player of the Match," he recalled.
The pacer added that he later offered the award to Axar out of respect, but Axar himself acknowledged the importance of those early breakthroughs. Beyond the anecdote, Sandeep also weighed in on the trend of senior Indian players stepping away from T20Is to focus on ODIs and Tests.
He felt that the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja had already made those choices while younger players were unlikely to follow suit in the near future. According to him, India's depth of talent means more cricketers will eventually need to pick formats as competition intensifies.