‘I knew I had to double bluff him’ - Ishant Sharma reflects on his final over tussle against Rahul Tewatia

The 44th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 featured a thrilling clash between the defending champions Gujarat Titans and the David Warner-led Delhi Capitals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 2.

After posting just 130 runs on the board, Delhi needed to put in a fabulous spell with the ball, and the side did just that. One of the biggest deciding factors in Delhi’s victory was the performance of veteran India pacer Ishant Sharma. Bowling four overs in the game, Ishant conceded 23 runs and took two wickets.

With a fabulous spell, the 34-year-old’s heroics in the final over of the game quickly became the talk of the town. Gujarat required 12 runs in the last over to win the game and the defending champions looked well set for a victory as Rahul Tewatia was looking well set.

However, Ishant just gave away six runs in the final over to propel Delhi to a win. He bowled with variations to keep the batters guessing and even dismissed Tewatia in the last over. After the game, the veteran bowler came forward to reflect on the final over.

"I played enough cricket with Tewatia, so was just having fun with him. I knew I had to double-bluff him; otherwise, we know what he can do with the bat," Ishant Sharma was quoted as saying by India Today. 

It is all about executing it every single time: Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma has been one of the best performers for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing IPL 2023. Having played four games in the tournament so far, the 34-year-old has taken six wickets and continues to impress in the twilight of his career. Reflecting on his performance, he stressed the importance of practising specific deliveries in the nets and executing them in the match.

"I keep practising in the nets. We practise bowling we the new ball, but at the same time we do practise bowling wide yorkers, and today the hard work paid off; I just backed myself and bowled wide yorkers. When you are preparing yourself in the nets, we plan to certain batsmen as to what to bowl, and it is all about executing it every single time, back yourself, and believing in yourself," Ishant Sharma said.