A lanky leg-break bowler who depends more on bounce than spin, Rahul Sharma rose to prominence during the 2011 IPL. Playing for Pune Warriors, he finished the tournament with 16 wickets at an economy rate of 5.46. The highlight of his performance was the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in a league game at the Wankhede Stadium.

After making his first-class debut for Punjab in 2006, Sharma had to wait for three years to play his second game. During the third edition of the IPL, when he was part of the Deccan Chargers, Sharma was diagnosed with a facial nerve dysfunction that affected his vision.

A tough rehabilitation routine and the determination to fight back saw him outwit the best of batsmen in IPL 2011, leading to a national call-up for the home ODI series against England in October 2011.