IPL 2024: Star spinner Ashwin heaps praise on Sandeep Sharma for RR's win vs LSG

Ravichandran Ashwin; (right) RR pacer Sandeep Sharma (left) celebrates a wicket v LSG on Sunday. Pic/BCCI; IPL

For Rajasthan Royals's (RR) Ravichandran Ashwin, death-overs specialist Sandeep Sharma is an unsung hero.

While the established batters and stars hog limelight, sometimes performances like the one by Sandeep on Sunday against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) go unnoticed.

Sandeep came into the attack only in the 14th over and at a stage wherein LSG looked in control of the chase, needing 65 to win from six overs chasing 194 set by the RR.

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Giving away a mere five runs in his first over, Sandeep broke the threatening stand between KL Rahul (58) and Nicholas Pooran (64 not out), accounting for the LSG skipper in a fine spell of 3-0-22-1.

The right-arm seamer also kept it largely tight in the penultimate over with LSG needing 38 from the last two, giving away only 11 runs.

Ashwin said a ‘bowler for a fight' is way more valuable than skills at times and Sandeep proved so, having done well in last season too, when he helped Royals secure a three-run win against Chennai Super Kings despite MS Dhoni hitting two sixes in his final over.

"The game is built by perception. Sandeep has been an unsung hero. He stepped up for Prasidh [Krishna] last year," Ashwin said after RR's 20-run win.

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