WATCH: Ishant Sharma excited to represent Delhi after 12 years in IPL
Ishant is elated to perform in front of his home crowd and also described it as a ‘feeling of pride’. He was pocketed by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 1.10 crore during the auctions in Jaipur earlier this year
After playing for various franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in past seasons, veteran Indian pacer Ishant Sharma is set to represent his home franchise, Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming edition of the cash-rich tournament, starting from March 23.
Ishant is elated to perform in front of his home crowd and also described it as a ‘feeling of pride’. He was pocketed by the Delhi Capitals for Rs 1.10 crore during the auctions in Jaipur earlier this year.
With a week left for the T20 carnival, Delhi Capitals posted a video on Instagram, where the 30-year-old pacer said, “For me, Kotla is something more than a ground. For the entire cricket I have played, right from the under-17 level, I have played all my matches here. I have a number of memories here.
.@ImIshant reveals how special it is to return to his home ground after 12 long years ❤
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) March 15, 2019
Toh aaiye Kotla, aur dekhiye unki dhuandaar bowling. Tickets 👉 https://t.co/9GU5cv1u2O#ThisIsNewDelhi #DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/KdfKERRIMU
“Not only for me but for all those who represent Delhi, Kotla is a memory for them because it is where it all starts. It is from here that we went ahead to represent our country. It is always very special to play on your home ground,” the 30-year-old pacer expressed.
Ishant, who had first stolen the limelight by bowling a dream spell to the former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, will work closely with him as the head coach of the Capitals. Ishant has scalped 58 wickets from 76 IPL games and will be an integral part of his side's pace attack when the league kicks-off in less than 10 days.
Delhi will kick-off their IPL campaign against three-time champions Mumbai Indians on March 24 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.