BackKarn Sharma finds his pitch
From domestic has-been to Indian Premier League star to the Indian team, the bowler from Meerut is spinning his own fate
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After seven years of obscurity in domestic cricket as a journeyman player, Karn Sharma’s life has taken a stormy twist in the past four months. If the 3.75 crore fee he commanded at the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction put the limelight on him unexpectedly, his inclusion in the One Day team for India for the ongoing tour in England has only sharpened the focus. Could the 26-year-old from Meerut, heading down the path of an unknown also-ran in domestic cricket just a year ago, become a surprise weapon for a struggling Indian team in England?
At the hallowed turf at Lord’s on 22 August, in the only practice match before the One Day International (ODI) series, Sharma took three wickets at a miserly economy rate of 2.89 in less than five overs. His senior partners (R. Ashwin and R. Jadeja) in the team could manage a solitary wicket between them after bowling 12 overs together in that match.
Overshadowing seniors is not something new for Sharma, who is an orthodox leg-spinner but bats left-handed. In this year’s IPL, Sharma outperformed the experienced leg-spinner Amit Mishra, picking up 15 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad at an average of 25.06 and economy rate of 7.42, compared to Mishra’s seven wickets at an average of 48.57 and economy rate of 9.06. While Sharma played 14 matches, Mishra participated in 10.
“It has been a great learning curve for me to play in the IPL," Sharma said before leaving for England. “I learnt a great deal from Amit Mishra, who has been a great help. The best thing was that there was never any insecurity. We bowled like partners and that helped the team."
Sharma was called up for national duty after Mishra was declared unfit for India selection. Incidentally, Mishra was the first cricketer to call Sharma to congratulate him after his IPL windfall. Sharma had got the news from his wife earlier, but thought she was joking since his base price was just ₹ 30 lakh—till Mishra called. He ended up being the highest-paid uncapped domestic player at the auction.
Now, with the India call-up, the focus is shifting from his huge IPL signing fee to his cricket.
“I am glad that cricket and my performances have become my new identity and not the money," he said. “I was not surprised completely since the question of selection is always at the back of your mind. I have been doing well for the past couple of years so there is bound to be some expectation before every selection."
Sharma’s story is as much about hard work as about being at the right place at the right time. Abhay Sharma, a former captain and coach of the Railways Ranji team, and a coach with a successful India A team with whom Karn toured Australia recently, was the first to pick the player for his Ranji debut in 2007.
“I picked him for his Ranji debut for the Railways team against all odds since people alleged that I was favouring him," says Abhay. “Because we have the same surname, people thought he was my relative. There was no truth in that. He responded by scoring a hundred on debut at No.7 and I was delighted to see his progress in Australia and could easily sense that the India cap was not very far from him."
Karn went through years of average performances after his high-scoring debut, but kept his ambitions intact, and worked harder at the nets. He found plenty of mentors: India and Uttar Pradesh pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled with him regularly at the nets and prepared him mentally for the challenges of international cricket, Karn says; as did India bowler Praveen Kumar, who is also from Meerut.
“PK (Praveen Kumar) and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar) were real inspirations," says Karn. “They gave me the belief that hailing from a small town was no longer a disadvantage. And Murali Karthik (the former India spinner with the Railways team) has always shared his knowledge of bowling with me."
During the 2012-13 domestic season, Karn began to shine. He made a big impression with a 21-wicket haul in three Ranji matches, including eight wickets in one match against the then defending champions, Rajasthan. From there, it was a natural step to the IPL, where he had a good season with the Sunrisers in 2013, taking 11 wickets in 13 matches.
Before he left for England, Karn said he had never spoken to India captain M.S. Dhoni before his selection for the India team. While that would have changed, it is unlikely that Dhoni would have forgotten Karn’s sensational spell in IPL 2013. On 25 April, against Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings, Karn bowled a maiden over against Dwayne Bravo in the 16th over and had overall figures of 4-1-8-0.
Yet Karn feels there is more to his game than bowling. “I see myself as an all-rounder. I am a leg-spinner who can bat and contribute substantially," he says. “I would like to make vital contributions both from bat and ball."
It won’t be easy to break into India’s playing XI though.
“He has been a good find and has impressed in Ranji and IPL but it depends a lot on how Dhoni will use him, since he will compete with Jadeja for a place in the team," says former captain and India selector K. Srikkanth. As the mentor of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Srikkanth played a pivotal role in picking Karn for the franchise.
In the next six months, India are scheduled to play at least 13 ODIs, and a fine show in England would significantly enhance Karn’s chances of playing in the 2015 World Cup.
Vimal Kumar is the author of Sachin: Cricketer Of The Century.
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