Ranji Trophy: Himachal Pradesh cricketer Sidharth Sharma passes away at 28

Himachal Pradesh fast bowler Sidharth Sharma tragically passed away on Thursday, 12 January, while on tour with the team in Gujarat for a Ranji Trophy match. 

The sudden and unexpected loss of the talented cricketer has left the team and his family in shock and grief. Sidharth was a promising young player who had a bright future ahead of him, and his death has come as a devastating blow to the cricketing community. 

Sharma had fallen ill and was admitted to a hospital in Gujarat, the exact cause of his illness unknown. Following his untimely passing, Himachal Pradesh's newly-elected Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh, expressed his deep sorrow and condolences.

A tweet from CMO Himachal read "Chief Minister Shri @Sukhusukhvinder has expressed deep condolences on the demise of Sidharth Sharma, the star fast bowler of the state who was a member of the Vijay Hazare Trophy-winning cricket team of Himachal. The Chief Minister expresses his deep condolences to the bereaved family members."

मुख्यमंत्री श्री @SukhuSukhvinder ने हिमाचल की विजय हजारे ट्रॉफी विजेता क्रिकेट टीम के सदस्य रहे और प्रदेश के स्टार तेज गेंदबाज सिद्धार्थ शर्मा के निधन पर गहरा शोक व्यक्त किया है। मुख्यमंत्री ने शोक संतप्त परिजनों के साथ अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त की हैं।

— CMO HIMACHAL (@CMOFFICEHP) January 13, 2023

The pacer played thirteen matches for Himachal Pradesh, comprising of six first-class matches, six List A games, and a T20 match. He made his first-class debut in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy on November 1st, 2017. Since then, Sharma has taken a total of twenty-five wickets in the Ranji Trophy, making a significant contribution to the team's success.

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