Mumbai finisher Shedge hopes to cash in on his second chance with Punjab Kings

Suryansh Shedge looks up to Virat Kohli for his mindset, Ben Stokes and Hardik Pandya for their abilities in roles similar to his, and wants to keep learning from Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting at PBKS

Neeraj Pandey

Published: Mar 22, 2026, 3:31 AM (5 hrs ago)

3:24

Shedge: Dhoni taught me the importance of staying in the moment

In India, cricket is not merely a sport, and no, we're not talking about it being a religion. It's a dream - one that millions of children embrace the very moment they become aware enough. But Mumbai and Punjab Kings (PBKS) allrounder Suryansh Shedge's story has been a little different.

Like most other children in the country, Shedge grew up watching cricket on television. However, back then, he had no ambition of becoming a cricketer. His father held a managerial position at a private firm, and his mother was a banker.

It was his mother who first recognised the cricketer in her son; she took him to a cricket academy for the very first time when he was around nine. She had so much conviction in her son that she quit her well-paying job to support him.

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"My mother used to take me to practice sessions and pack my lunchbox," Shedge tells ESPNcricinfo. "The very day I first stepped onto the field, I resolved to become a cricketer. Had that not been the case, I wouldn't have even bothered going to the ground. The moment I picked up the bat, I made up my mind: I was going to be a cricketer."

Emerging from Mumbai's fiercely competitive cricketing landscape, Shedge first made headlines for his 326 not out off 137 balls in the Giles Shield Under-14 inter-school tournament. "Immediately after playing that innings, I gave about seven or eight interviews," he recalls. "I was so exhausted that I went straight home and fell asleep."

A batting allrounder who can bowl medium pace, Shedge kept rising through age-group cricket. He was named captain of the Mumbai Under-19 team and was even poised to play in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup. However, he missed out because of a slump in form just prior to the team selection.

During this challenging phase, Abhishek Nayar stepped in to support him and worked on refining his game even as Shedge received guidance from coaches Monty Desai and Manish Bangera.

"Shreyas bhai has played in a wide variety of situations. Strategically, there is a great deal to learn from him"

Shedge on his PBKS captain and Mumbai senior Shreyas Iyer

From the very beginning, Shedge has regarded Virat Kohli as his idol, and there is logic behind the love: Kohli's mindset. Being an allrounder, Shedge also looks up to Ben Stokes and Hardik Pandya, as he sees both as consistently trying to find ways to make an impact.

The 2024-25 domestic season proved to be a breakthrough for Shedge, as he played an important role in Mumbai's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph. In the quarter-final against Vidarbha, after taking two wickets, he guided Mumbai to victory by scoring an unbeaten 36 off 12 balls. In the semi-final against Baroda, he claimed two wickets while conceding a mere 11 runs from two overs. In the final, when Shedge walked out to bat at No. 7, Mumbai required 46 runs from 32 balls. Shedge smashed 36 not out off 15 to finish the match with 13 balls to spare.

That season, Shedge played nine innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, maintaining a strike rate of over 250 with the bat - he finished top of that table. In almost every innings, Shedge went on the offensive right from the very first ball and smashed a total of 13 sixes in the competition. In all, Shedge scored 131 runs in six innings off just 52 balls.

Following this stellar performance, PBKS bought him for INR 30 lakh (US$32,000 approx. now) at the IPL 2025 auction. In the preceding season, he had been part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) set-up as a replacement for Jaydev Unadkat, but he did not get to play a game. In 2025, he played three innings for PBKS but couldn't make them count. However, the team management saw enough to retain him.

During the 2025-26 domestic season, Shedge found himself warming the bench for the majority of the matches. But he took it positively.

"The strength of the Mumbai team means things are not going to be easy," he says. "Everyone is fighting for a spot. Whether I make the playing XI or not is not in my hands; the only thing in my hands is to keep improving my game and always keep myself prepared, because sooner or later, the opportunity will arrive."

During IPL 2025, he had the opportunity to interact with several cricketing legends, who provided him with even greater clarity about his role as a finisher.

"Playing under Ricky sir's coaching is nothing short of a blessing for me. During practice sessions, he is the one who exudes the most energy. In fact, even if you are feeling unwell, you take the field with the same energy"

Shedge on his PBKS coach Ricky Ponting

"I had a conversation along these very lines with Mahi sir [MS Dhoni] as well. He also said that a finisher's role is quite crucial in this format, yet opportunities to play it are few and far between. And the outcome does not go in one's favour most of the time," Shedge says. "My philosophy is to stay in the present and approach the game one ball at a time. All the senior players say that the scoreboard itself dictates what approach to take. Giving yourself time and staying in the present is crucial. If you start overthinking, you won't be able to anticipate the bowler's plan, and you are bound to make mistakes.

"T20 is a short game only in name; in reality, it is a massive contest. You can comfortably take your time and settle in. Cricket is a battle fought ball by ball. Every delivery marks a fresh start. If you win the battle on each individual ball, your task becomes easier, and you put the opposition under pressure."

At PBKS, Shedge plays under Shreyas Iyer, his Mumbai team-mate. At the same time, he considers having Ricky Ponting as head coach as a blessing.

"Shreyas bhai has played in a wide variety of situations. Strategically, there is a great deal to learn from him," Shedge says. "On the other hand, playing under Ricky sir's coaching is nothing short of a blessing for me. During practice sessions, he is the one who exudes the most energy. In fact, even if you are feeling unwell, you take the field with the same energy."

Neeraj Pandey is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo Hindi

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