'I went unsold': Highly Underrated Sandeep Sharma reminds everyone after taking 5 wickets vs MI

One of the prime reasons for Rajasthan Royals' grand win at their final match at Jaipur was Sandeep Sharma. The 30-year-old medium pace bowler wreaked havoc as he took vital scalps, which included the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, the big hitting Tim David, Ishan Kishan and Gerald Coetzee. He pulled off a colossal return after an injury layoff to keep Rajasthan at the number one spot in the table. After the match, the pacer opened up on the stakes to bowl at death.

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Big heart and proper execution needed, says Sandeep Sharma after fifer against MI

Sharma, who began his IPL career as a new-ball specialist, has been tasked by the Royals with bowling the death overs in three of his games this season. Bowling after a three-week injury break, the 30-year-old Sharma wrecked havoc in the Mumbai Indians camp on Monday, taking 5 for 18. After the match, the bowler disclosed that one must have a large heart when bowling at the death while attempting to implement one's plans, insisted Rajasthan Royals medium pacer Sandeep Sharma, who recorded the best bowling performance of the 2017 IPL season.

"In this year's IPL, batters are going big and with the impact player rule, there is an extra batter so the games are high-scoring. You have to have a big heart while bowling at the death and try to execute your plans and bowl good balls," he said after RR's nine-wicket win over MI.

"Even today you ask me where I feel comfortable, I'll say it's with the new ball. With the old ball, you have to adapt and evolve as a bowler," he said.

"If you're bowling at the death, it can go both ways. Sometimes, you go for runs, and when you're lucky enough you end up getting a wicket. When we started, the wicket was low and slow. My plan was to keep bowling those cutters and it came off nicely tonight." he further added.

"Got fit the day before yesterday only. The first game after fitness, feeling good. The pitch was on the slower side and lower side, so my plan was to keep bowling variations and cutters. If you're bowling in the end, you have to have a big heart. Have seen in the IPL, that bowlers are under the pump. Need to have a big heart and keep executing plans. As you know, I went unsold two years ago. Came in as a replacement. So I'm enjoying every game," Sharma said.

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At the death, Sandeep took three wickets in the final over, restricting Mumbai Indians to 179 despite a 99-run stand between Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera. But Yashasvi Jaiswal stole the show as RR swept a nine-wicket win at home.