'I would love to be a part of a World Cup-winning team,' says Ishant Sharma

Indian pacer Ishant Sharma has revealed that he would love to play in a World Cup and be a part of a World-Cup winning team.

The 31-year-old missed out on the opportunity to represent India in the 2015 World Cup due to injury and last played an ODI for India back in January 2016.

Ishant Sharma has played 80 ODIs and has taken 115 wickets at an average of 30.98. He is India's premier pacer in the longest format but he would like to make a comeback in the limited-overs format for India.

He told Deep Dasgupta in a videocast hosted by ESPNcricinfo:

"Obviously, I would love to play in a World Cup. Actually, I want to be part of a World Cup-winning team, as it will be a different feeling altogether. We are playing the World Test Championship, which is equivalent to a World Cup in Test cricket, but you realize that not a lot of people follow it, while an ODI World Cup is widely followed."

Ishant Sharma has taken 297 wickets from 97 Tests and is now just 3 wickets away from reaching 300 Test wickets. While many former cricketers have said that he should have taken more wickets than he has taken so far in 97 Tests, Ishant Sharma believes that the only thing that matters to him is his communication with the captain.

MS Dhoni always utilised Ishant Sharma in Tests as a workhorse and as someone who would be economical in his bowling, especially in India where spinners would have more chances of picking wickets than fast bowlers.

It was under Dhoni's captaincy that Ishant Sharma used the short-ball ploy and got his career-best figures of 7-74 in an innings against England at Lords', helping India win the Test match.

Speaking of Dhoni's support, Ishant Sharma said:

"MS Dhoni always backed me. Even after my first 50-60 Tests, he never said we'll look for someone to replace you. To tell you the truth, even after playing 97 Tests, I still don't understand things like average and strike rate. I've never bothered about these things. If I'm not able to understand them, why should I rely on them? It's just a number after all," Ishant Sharma said.

"If I am bowling in India and the captain tells me to bowl in a way that I concede only 40 runs in 20 overs and that the spinners will take care of picking up wickets, that's what is important to me...My communication will be with my captain and that's why Dhoni backed me," Ishant Sharma further added.

Ishant Sharma will play for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and will be hoping to have a good season in order to boost his chances of making a comeback for India in white-ball cricket.