Overview

Delhi is known for producing phenomenal cricket talent, and the latest to rise through the ranks is Suyash Sharma. The youngster from Bhajanpura in East Delhi has no first-class experience or any ‘Godfather’ in cricket. Suyash, who hails from a lower middle-class background, made the cut to the cash-rich league on the basis of determination and hard work.

Cricket brief 

Suyash Sharma is a student of former Delhi spinner Suresh Batra and has played cricket at club level. With club-level cricket not providing enough finances, the youngster really struggled for his survival. He suffered a major setback when his coach, Batra, succumbed to COVID-19. During his struggle in cricket, the leg spinner suffered another major setback when his father detected cancer. However, Mumbai Indians manager (and talent scout) Rahul Sanghvi came to his rescue and helped with his father’s treatment.

Despite all the problems at a personal level, Suyash, under the guidance of coach Randhir Singh, continued to work hard and got himself into a Madras club known for nurturing spinners. The leg-break bowler polished his skills at the club, and his ability to bowl leg-break and googly without changing action caught everyone by surprise. Suyash’s success at club cricket saw him earn a call-up to the Delhi U-25 team and the IPL trials.

Both the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders had their eyes set on the youngster after he had successfully cleared the trial. With an IPL contract still a long shot, Suyash continued to toil hard at the club level. There is a saying that luck favors the brave, and for Suyash, the IPL 2023 auction was the major turning point. The Kolkata Knight Riders, who are known for their obsession with mystery spinners, decided to hand the youngster his maiden IPL contract.

IPL journey 

Suyash Sharma made his IPL debut as an ‘Impact Player’ against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2023. He made an impactful debut, finishing the match with a spell of 3/30 in three overs. He dismissed the likes of Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, and Karn Sharma in his debut match.