Rahul Sharma (born 30 November 1986) is an Indian former

cricketer Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

. He was primarily a right-handed legbreak and googly bowler. He was a member of the Punjab cricket team from 2006 to 2014. He came into the limelight due to his impressive bowling performances in IPL 2011 for Pune Warriors.

Early career

Rahul started as a medium pacer but soon turned to leg spin after his coach suggested him. He made his debut in first class cricket on 25 December 2006 for

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

against Rajasthan, but had to wait till 2009 to play again. In 2009–10 season of the

Ranji Trophy The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...

, he took 13 wickets in seven first class games. Rahul played only one Ranji match in the 2010–11 season.

Indian Premier League

In 2010, Rahul Sharma made his IPL debut for

Deccan Chargers Deccan Chargers (also sometimes known as the Chargers) is a defunct cricket franchise that competed in the Indian Premier League. It was based in the city of Hyderabad. The franchise was one of the eight inaugural members of the IPL in 2008 and ...

. He took just five wickets and went at 8.08 an over in the six matches he played for

. In the 2011 IPL, Rahul Sharma made a name for himself with some good bowling performances for Pune Warriors. His figures of 4-0-7-2 against

Mumbai Indians The Mumbai Indians are a professional Twenty20, Twenty20 cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indians were founded in 2008 and are owned by India's largest Conglomerate (company), co ...

were the most economical of

2011 Indian Premier League The 2011 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 4 or the IPL 2011, was the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, the top Twenty20 cricket league in India. The tournament was hosted in India and the opening and closing ceremonies ...

and the performance created enough of a buzz to see his name trend on Twitter in India. In 2013, Sharma’s reputation got damped in a single game as

Chris Gayle Christopher Henry Gayle (born 21 September 1979) is a Jamaican cricket team, Jamaican cricketer who has played international cricket for the West Indies cricket team, West Indies from 1999 to 2021. Nicknamed "The Universe Boss", Gayle is wide ...

smacked him for 5 continuous sixes in a single over in an IPL Game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Pune Warriors India, Gayle went on to score 175* which still stands as the highest individual score in IPL history and RCB set a 263 total which was then the highest team total in IPL until 2024. Later In 2015 Rahul Sharma was bought by

Chennai Super Kings The Chennai Super Kings, also known as CSK, are a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team was one of the eight debut franchises when the league was establ ...

in the IPL 8 auction.

Other leagues

In September 2022, he was named in the Bhilwara Kings squad for the 2022 Legends League Cricket.

International career

On 8 December 2011, Rahul made his ODI debut for India in the 4th ODI against the West Indies and took three wickets. All three batsmen were bowled. In the same match Virender Sehwag set a new record(219) for the highest score in ODIs.
Rahul scored his first run, and only run, in One Day Internationals against Australia at the

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G, is a sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the Lis ...

on 5 February 2012. He scored 1 run off 2 balls before being bowled by Xavier Doherty.
On 1 February 2012, Rahul made his

Twenty20 Twenty20 (abbreviated T20) is a shortened format of cricket. At the professional level, it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for the county cricket, inter-county competition. In a Twenty20 game, the two t ...

International debut for India in the 1st T20 of the series against Australia at the

Stadium Australia Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...

/Sydney Olympic Park currently known as

ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...

. He injured his finger while bowling his first over but came back later to continue bowling. His first

International wicket was that of

David Hussey David John Hussey (born 15 July 1977) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer. Hussey is a right-handed batter and can also Bowler (cricket), bowl right-arm off breaks. He is the younger brother of former Australian cricketer Michael ...

who was bowled clean.

Bell's Palsy

Rahul Sharma had suffered from a form of facial paralysis called

Bell's Palsy Bell's palsy is a type of facial paralysis that results in a temporary inability to control the facial muscles on the affected side of the face. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. Symptoms can vary f ...

a few days before the beginning of the IPL 2010 series.

Controversies

Rahul Sharma was caught along with

Wayne Parnell Wayne Dillon Parnell (born 30 July 1989) is a South African professional cricketer who has played Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket for the South Africa national cricket team. At domestic level he playe ...

after he tested positive for consumption of drugs in a rave party. He later said he had no clue about the rave party and had gone there to attend a birthday celebration.

References

External links

Rahul Sharma - Wisden India Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Rahul Indian cricketers India Twenty20 International cricketers 21st-century Indian sportsmen India One Day International cricketers North Zone cricketers India Red cricketers Punjab, India cricketers Deccan Chargers cricketers Pune Warriors India cricketers 1986 births Living people Cricketers from Jalandhar Delhi Capitals cricketers