Ishant Sharma Names Ricky Ponting As His Best Coach
May 19, 2020 at 11:01 AM
The senior Indian pacer Ishant Sharma has recently revealed that the former Australian World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting is his best ever coach.
The tall right-arm pacer Ishant Sharma joined his new IPL team Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the IPL 2019, where Ricky Ponting is the Head Coach. It was his comeback in the IPL after missing the entire IPL 2018. When he was nervous ahead of beginning the previous season, Ponting injected enough confidence on him.
Recently, Ishant said during an Instagram live session with Delhi Capitals, “He’s (Ponting) the best coach I’ve ever met. I was very nervous when I was making a return to the IPL last season. I was almost feeling like a debutant walking into the camp the first day, but he gave me a lot of confidence since the first day I arrived at the Delhi Capitals’ camp.
“He just told me, ‘You’re a senior player and you should help the youngsters. Just don’t worry about anything – you’re my first choice.’ And I think that bit of conversation really helped me.”
In the IPL 2019, Ishant took 13 wickets in 13 matches, which were his second-most wickets in an IPL season. It was also the joint second-most wickets by a bowler from Delhi Capitals in that IPL season. After 2013, it was the first time when Ishant played 10 or more matches in an IPL season.
Ricky Ponting vs Ishant Sharma
During his international career, Ricky Ponting was a bunny of Ishant Sharma. The tall pacer dismissed Ponting for eight times in international cricket, which was his joint second-most success against a batsman in the international career.
Talking about one of his best moments in the international career, Ishant named the 2008 Perth Test where he dominated over the skipper Ponting in both the innings of that match. He also impressively performed when Australia later toured in India in late 2008.
Ishant said, “People still talk and ask me about the Perth Test, and the spell I bowled to him. Later that year when Australia visited India too, I was in great form.
“Gary (Kirsten) was our coach then, and he told me that the Australians play only to win, which is why a performance against them, even on home soil, counts a lot, and would help me get noticed. That success I had against them in 2008 is easily one of the highlights of my career.”