There was a particular effortlessness in the way Suyash Sharma talked about his brilliance in Mullanpur, and perhaps that was just what made him so effective and lethal against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Three overs, three wickets, and seventeen runs. His simplicity made it seem like just another day at the office. Except this was hardly that. This was an Indian Premier League (IPL) Qualifier, and Suyash ravaged through Punjab’s middle order and set their woes in stone for the night.
“The coaches have told me just one thing: I have to hit the stumps, it doesn’t matter whether I bowl a googly, legbreak, or flipper,” Suyash said after collecting his Player of the Match award. “So I try to finish as many balls as possible on the stumps. There was some help from the pitch. I think that’s why my googly wasn’t easy to pick.”
PBKS were sent in to bat first, and they hardly got a proper chance to do that. They were already reeling at 59 for 5 when Suyash came in to bowl in the ninth over. It barely took him minutes to make himself heard at the roaring New Chandigarh stadium. He hoodwinked Shashank Singh straightaway with a googly that knocked him over, while he was going for a big hit across the line, but ended up with shattered stumps instead.
Punjab kept on going from bad to worse, and so was reflected in their decision to send in uncapped Musheer Khan as their Impact Player. The debutant only lasted three balls, which hardly surprised anyone given how Suyash was breathing fire. He sent another googly, this time flatter and shorter, and thudded him on the pads, leaving no room for doubt. Three reds showed Musheer his way back.
In his next over, he faced Marcus Stoinis, who was more experienced than his previous two victims. Stoinis, in a bid to shift back whatever pressure he could, tried to go big, but failed to account for the turn that saw the ball shoot past him and land onto the stumps behind him, giving Suyash his third of the evening.
The RCB captain, Rajat Patidar, was all praise for the rookie spinner, especially for his clarity and control.
“The way Suyash chipped in, the way he bowled his line and length, that was incredible. As a captain, I’m pretty much clear about his bowling. He has to be, most of the time, on the stumps. That’s his strength. And his wrong’un is very difficult to pick for batsmen.”
For all the complexity that comes with wrist spin, especially in a format that has absolutely no regard for bowlers, Suyash’s philosophy dwells in first principles. And Patidar has never coerced him away from it, so he says.
“I always give him clear ideas,” Patidar continued. “I don’t want to confuse him. And I’m okay if he gives some runs.”
RCB eventually won the game by eight wickets and became the first team to reach the final this season, sparing themselves the stress of competing in another do-or-die game.
