"Don’t care about whether I am wanted or unwanted anywhere" - Ishant Sharma on getting unsold in IPL auctions

Senior fast bowler Ishant Sharma has asserted that he doesn't care about going unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions. The Delhi-born pacer went unsold in the IPL 2022 mega-auction after no franchises showed interest in him.

Ishant last played in the IPL in 2021, featuring in only one game for the Delhi Capitals (DC). He conceded 37 runs in four overs and returned wicketless against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

With yet another IPL auction scheduled to take place in Kochi on Friday, December 23, the lanky pacer will go under the hammer, having set his base price at ₹50 lakh. However, he is not worried about getting a team at the auction. Speaking to Sportstar, he stated:

"To be honest, I have stopped thinking about all these things. Once I go back home, I have my family, they love me. I have my dogs, they don’t really care what I do on a field. I have my wife, my parents and my friends, they just see me as Ishant and not as a cricketer.

"I just enjoy my life," he added further. "I don’t care about whether I am wanted or unwanted anywhere. I am still playing this game because I love playing cricket. When I started bowling fast, I did so because I enjoyed it, not because someone wanted or someone disliked me. Honestly, I don’t care about all these things and don’t want to care about it either."

Overall, Ishant has featured in 93 IPL matches, picking up 72 wickets with a best of 5/12.

The right-arm pacer was last seen in action during Delhi's Ranji Trophy fixture against Maharashtra. However, he will miss the next game against Assam, starting on Tuesday, December 20, due to a side strain.

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"I have left all these things out of my mind" - Ishant Sharma on his future

With Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid taking charge of Indian cricket, Ishant ran out of favor as the duo showed trust in young blood.

When quizzed about his future, the 105-Test veteran stated that he is concerned about making a comeback and wants to play as long as he enjoys the game. He added:

"I don’t really think about future too much. I am just enjoying my cricket right now. That’s why I have played all the three formats of this domestic season. I am not putting myself under pressure of “I want to make a comeback” anywhere.

"I have left all these things out of my mind. As long as I am passionate about the game, I will keep enjoying cricket."

Ishant has so far represented India in 105 Tests, 80 ODIs, and 14 T20Is, picking up 434 international wickets in total.

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