Ranji Trophy: Kerala finds its Mr. Reliable in journeyman spinner Ankit Sharma

Through the two days of play in its Ranji Trophy Group B match against Punjab in New Chandigarh, Kerala turned to Ankit Sharma for solutions on more than one occasion.

Minutes before stumps on Sunday, Ankit was sent in with his side clutching at straws. Kerala had to bat out the final seven overs of the day after spending 163.4 overs in the field. Nightwatchman Basil N.P. departed in the second over, and Ankit walked in at No. 3 to prevent further damage.

On the opening day, Saturday, Kerala turned to Ankit after Harnoor Singh Pannu and Uday Saharan’s stonewalling had sapped the energy out of the team.

Ankit is the quintessential journeyman. At 34, neither age is on his side nor is he the best player in the team. But he has experience — and all he asks for is an opportunity.

“I made my debut for Madhya Pradesh [MP] in 2009 and played continuously till 2018. Then, there was a gap of three years, one of which was due to COVID. I played in the (Syed) Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy for MP again, when Chandu sir [Chandrakant Pandit] came. Then, I got an offer from Pondicherry and I thought let’s explore a new thing.

“It feels good to be with Kerala now. They are an excellent team and there is a good balance of youngsters and senior players. There are some challenges in adapting to the new team. The ground is different, the wickets are different, but it feels good to gel up with the team,” Ankit says.

Across the two days against Punjab, Ankit drew on his 70 matches’ worth of First-Class experience to deliver in crunch moments. In unfavourable conditions and against a batting order obstinately intent on blocking, he ploughed on with his left-arm orthodox bowling for nearly 46 overs, finishing with four wickets (4/103).

Twice, he broke through Punjab’s dogged resistance when it seemed unbreachable. He trapped Uday Saharan with a quicker, straighter delivery to end an 86-run stand with Harnoor. On the second day, he again cut through Harnoor’s support, deceiving Krish Bhagat with pace to end a 66-run seventh-wicket partnership that had frustrated Kerala for 157 balls.

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“Our head coach told us to keep the basics right. Because there was not much turn from the wicket. Only the odd ball kept low. So, we tried to keep it as much as possible in the good areas,” Ankit said.

He came up clutch with the bat later in the day, holding his nerve for 16 deliveries to ensure Kerala had nine wickets in hand at stumps.

Ankit is also a late bloomer. His most prolific season was 2015/16, when he claimed 33 wickets in 12 games at an average of 34. But he gave consistent yields in his two seasons with Pondicherry, picking 49 wickets across his term and averaging less than 30 in each season. It even earned him a Duleep Trophy call-up this year, where he represented South Zone and picked up six wickets against Central Zone, along with an agonising 99 in the second innings.

However, this late success was only possible due to his unyielding resolve that pulled him through the start-stop phases that impeded the second half of his career.

“Your motivation is what you want from yourself. It’s very easy to give up and say it’s done. But inside you know that you can still play and compete. So that’s the thing, you feel from within that you have to do it again, you have to achieve things again. That’s the motivation to keep working hard,” Ankit said.

M.S. Dhoni and Rahul Dravid have also played a hand in moulding Ankit’s quiet perseverance.

Ankit’s Indian Premier League career reflected a similar path — he turned out for four franchises over six seasons. Despite the brief stints, the leaders he played under left an indelible mark on his approach to the game.

“With Deccan Chargers, my first match was against Chennai Super Kings. That was a very memorable day for me because I bowled out Murali Vijay in the first over. Then, when I made my debut for Rajasthan Royals, Rahul Dravid sir gave me my cap and asked me to open the batting and bowling.

“When I came to Rising Pune Supergiant, I got to learn a lot from Mahi bhaiya. He shared a few things about how to cope when things do not go your way. I still follow them. It happens a lot, and he taught me how not to get distracted by that and focus on the basics,” Ankit said.

The lessons have outlasted the fleeting fame that came Ankit’s way. They have kept him bound to the game even after the ultimate dream of playing for India faded. His last IPL contract came in 2018 with Rajasthan Royals, but Ankit has quietly persisted since.

He rebuilt his career in the domestic circuit, starting with limited-overs cricket before working his way back into the First-Class fold.

“The FC cricket we play is the most important. That’s how my IPL success came. I performed well in the Ranji Trophy, made a name there and then got a contract in IPL. FC cricket is very important.

“Your job as a player is to focus on your process. Just keep doing your work. Sometimes your matches and results will not go well. But at times, the results will come in your favour as well,” Ankit said.

On Monday, when he carries on for Kerala, that is what he will do — focus on the process and enjoy FC cricket.

Published on Oct 27, 2025