The Indian cricket team has seen a massive transformation in fast bowling over the last 8-10 years, with Jasprit Bumrah emerging as a prominent figure. Bumrah’s arrival in Test cricket, in particular, made Team India incredibly formidable. However, Ishant Sharma played a significant role in strengthening the Indian team’s bowling attack and providing experience alongside stars like Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. The tall Indian pacer made a remarkable entry into international cricket and, after years of experience, revitalized India’s bowling. Ishant, who turns 37 on September 2nd, had a career as special as his childhood.
Ishant Sharma hails from West Delhi, a region that has produced several prominent figures in Indian cricket. Players like Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, and Shikhar Dhawan also originated from West Delhi. Ishant is one of them, who made his place in Team India. Like other players, Ishant was brought up in a middle-class family, but through sheer determination, he made a mark in international cricket after struggling in domestic cricket.
While Indian fans are well-acquainted with the details of the career of the 6-foot-5-inch tall fast bowler, Ishant Sharma, less is known about his childhood days. He too had to face the strictness of his parents, which is common in Indian families to ensure their children focus on studies or sports. In his childhood, Ishant was also subjected to beatings by his father. Ishant shared an amusing incident in an interview about the time he was severely beaten by his father.
In an interview on Cricbuzz, sitting with his wife Pratima and his parents, Ishant mentioned that he was once beaten without any reason. Ishant recounted that as soon as he entered the house, his father started beating him with a stick for no apparent reason. Not only Ishant, but his sister was also beaten. Ishant’s father expressed surprise, denying any such incident. He then told Ishant that he must have done something, which led to the beating. However, Ishant still doesn’t understand why he was beaten.
However, Ishant’s family played a significant role in his journey to becoming a cricketer. His father revealed that he too was passionate about cricket during his childhood and was one of the fastest bowlers in his neighborhood. Undoubtedly, this also contributed to Ishant’s journey to becoming a fast bowler. Speaking about Ishant’s career, he made his international debut in Test cricket in 2007 and gradually secured his place in all three formats. Ishant has taken 311 wickets in 105 Test matches, 115 wickets in 80 ODIs, and 8 wickets in 14 T20s for Team India.