“I made it too big in my head” - Ishant Sharma opens up on unachieved dream in career

Veteran India seamer Ishant Sharma has opened up about an unfulfilled dream in his career. The 37-year-old has been out of the team in recent years, with his last appearance coming in a Test match against New Zealand in November 2021.

The Delhi-born cricketer recently appeared on Raj Shamani’s podcast, released on Tuesday, September 23, where he spoke about his dream of becoming the bowler with the most Test wickets. He said:

“I mean, there were two or three things. My goal was something else which I couldn’t achieve, like I wanted to have the most wickets in Test cricket. But nothing happens, right? Life hasn’t ended; life has just started. Okay fine, I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t do it. It’s a different thing.”

“But the reason I couldn’t do it is because I made it too big in my head. Dreams are a good thing, but on the kind of pitches we play on, having that goal is very difficult. Because we often play on turning tracks, so many times you don’t even get the chance to bowl. That’s the reason. I always gave priority to Test cricket,” he added.

Ishant Sharma also remains the only frontline seamer to have played over 100 Tests for India. Reacting to the milestone, he remarked:

“For me, it’s just a number. Everyone says, ‘How many fast bowlers in India have played 100 Test matches?’ But for me, it was always just a number. And actually, it really is just a number, because later I realized that you don’t play for numbers, you play for memories.”

The right-arm pacer has featured in 105 Tests, claiming 311 wickets at an average of 32.40 and a strike rate of 61.6, including 11 five-wicket hauls.

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“That is the real achievement” - Ishant Sharma sheds light on playing for memories

During the same conversation, Ishant Sharma emphasized the importance of playing for memories rather than numbers, highlighting how the 2018-19 Test series win against Australia, the 2013 Champions Trophy victory, and representing India are far more meaningful than any statistics. He said:

“When do you realize it? In 2018, when we won our first Test series in Australia. We had been playing against Australia for so many years, but we won our first series only in 2018. Then you think, how lucky you are to be a part of that.”

“In 2015, we won in Sri Lanka after so many years. We won the Champions Trophy. We became ICC number one two or three times while I was playing Test cricket. When you sit back and think about it, you realize these things,” he added.

Ishant Sharma continued:

“If tomorrow someone says, ‘You built this house, you bought this car, you got this or that,’ but if someone asks, ‘What’s the real thing?’ then it’s that baggy blue cap. The one that gets dirty, the one you don’t even wash, the one that gets torn, but you still wear it in every Test match. That is the real hard work. That is the real achievement.”

Ishant Sharma has appeared in 199 matches for India across formats, taking 434 wickets at an average of 32.35, including 11 five-wicket hauls.