MUMBAI: Uncapped all-rounder Suryansh Shedge has been called up to India’s T20I squad for the series in Ireland and England as a replacement for the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy.
The 23-year-old Mumbai cricketer is happiest for his parents who sacrificed and adjusted everything to help him pursue his cricketing career. “It feels unreal, it has yet to sink in. Till I reach there (England) it won’t sink in,” said Shedge.
“I feel happy and proud for my parents. It is because of their sacrifices that I became a cricketer. My mother (Priyadarshini) was a banker, she quit her job so that my cricket needs could be taken care of. My parents would alternate to travel with me. Some days my father (Prashant) would take time off from work to reach home early and pick me up from practice or matches,” said Shedge, who grew up in Bandra (East).
A clean striker of the ball, Shedge is an explosive lower-order finisher and a utility medium-pace bowler. He has been fast-tracked into the senior India side mainly for his ability to be an impact player.
A good 2026 IPL season for Punjab Kings (158 runs in seven innings at an average of 39.50 and a strike rate of 175.55) was followed by a couple of eye-catching cameos under pressure for the India A side in the recent 50-over tri-series against Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A in Sri Lanka.
Led by Tilak Varma, the side included several established names. However, as the tournament in Sri Lanka progressed, Shedge emerged as one of the key players, with the captain relying on his batting (147 runs at a strike rate of 120.49) and his ability to contribute a few overs (23 overs across five innings).
Pace bowling all-rounders are always a prized commodity. Seeing the spark, the selectors want to test him as a back-up for first-choice Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was ruled out of the tour with a left quadriceps injury aggravated during last week’s third ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai.
The role earmarked for Shedge is challenging, coming in lower down the order when the pressure is really on.
“I believe in that position there are a lot of chances of becoming a match winner. From childhood whatever cricket I have played, I feel I have played well under pressure, I think it suits me. (But the) Success rate is less in that role so I keep reminding myself how I should keep my emotions in check – I shouldn’t run myself down when I don’t do well and not get carried away by a good performance as well,” said Shedge.
“My three coaches who have helped me a lot—Jatin Parajpe sir with whom I have been training for the last two years, Monty Desai (who has been a mentor from the start) and Manish Bangera, my childhood coach—these three have inculcated a never-give-up attitude.”
Despite his explosive batting, it is mainly his ability to chip in with useful overs that has helped him catch the selectors’ attention. “From childhood I have been an all-rounder, my mentality is when I am bowling I want to take wickets for my team. In the last one and a half years I have worked a lot on my bowling.”
India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer is also Shedge’s captain at Punjab Kings and knows his potential well. “With Shreyas bhai, in the last two years I have made four debuts – Syed Mushtaq Ali T20, Vijay Hazare Trophy (Mumbai), IPL and India A vs Australia A. I have played with him a lot and learnt a lot, even speaking to him off the field.”
Playing against England in England will be a tough tour but Shedge declared “wearing the jersey is enough motivation to give my best, and I will try to learn from so many experienced players.”