Meet Suryansh Shedge: Mumbai’s next wonder kid who took Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by storm

Bengaluru: Thirty six is an important number in Suryansh Shedge’s fledgling career. The two unbeaten 36s in the span of five days during the just-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy showcased the bubbling talent and maturity inside this 21-year-old from Mumbai.

The first 36 (12 balls) came on December 11 at Alur against Vidarbha. Mumbai needed 65 runs off 29 balls and Shedge took Mandar Mahale to cleaners, striking him for 6, 6, 6, 4 to bring the equation down to more manageable levels.

The second 36 (15 balls) came on Sunday in the SMAT final against Madhya Pradesh. Shedge walked in when Mumbai needed 46 from 34 balls — not tough in T20s but the pressure of the final could make a difference.

However, Shedge coolly clobbered Venkatesh Iyer for two sixes before smashing Tripuresh Singh for 4, 6, 6 to put a lid on the match.

Being a finisher in T20s can be a nerve-jangling job even for the seasoned names, and this young man has pulled it off twice under pressure situations.

“I was told beforehand that this would be my role. I would be batting at 5 or 6. So coming into this tournament, I tweaked my practice sessions a bit. I was playing 6-ball sets, trying to score a certain amount of runs in those 6 balls. That kind of helps,” Shedge said after the SMAT final here.

“I was taking breaks after every 6 balls because when you go into bat, you will only get 10-15 balls to face. So, I was trying to simulate that in the practice session,” he added.

However, the simulation routine does not programme his brain to play premeditated shots.

“Before the bowler is on his run-up, I don't think of any shots. When he starts running, then my brain starts working. Then I commit (to a shot). There are no double thoughts in my head.

“That's an important point. If you're in a dilemma whether to play the shot or not, then 5 out of 10 times you won't connect it. But when you go for it, I think you'll connect it. So, it kind of becomes a muscle memory.” It is of no wonder then that Shedge is an admirer of Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes, two of the cleanest strikers in contemporary cricket.

But Shedge has not limited himself to the barriers of cricket in his quest to maximise his abilities.

“I like competition. I like pressure because it tests me. And at the end of the night, when my head hits the pillow, I want to feel that satisfaction of doing something for the team.

“So, I have inculcated breathing exercises before matches. It increases relaxation because I have high energy,” he said.

Shedge received a vote of confidence from his skipper Shreyas Iyer.

“We all have seen him perform in the last few games. But I saw him in the nets. I wasn't judging him through his performances elsewhere.

“I really love his work ethic. He is someone who puts in hard yards. Even after the game, he goes, he trains and you could see it in his athletic ability,” said Shreyas.

He's a phenomenal talent. He's that kind of a player who is always there for the team.

“He goes full throttle, he's hell bent towards achieving success and that's what fascinates me about him,” he added.

This self-awareness is possibly coming out of the tough year Shedge had to go through in 2023.

“A huge blow that I got was last year when I got a stress fracture in the L4 region. I was just going to enter the Syed Mushtaq Ali season. Lucknow Super Giants was going to retain me, but then they had to release me because of injury.

“I couldn't attend an NCA camp also because of the injury. So, the first two months were hard for me. But my parents, my coaches, Abhishek Nair sir, Monty Desai sir and Manish Bangera sir, they helped me a lot when I was going through the motions,” said Shedge.

Beyond all these, Shedge is a cricket nerd who is glued to YouTube footage of matches when he is not on field.

“I watch a lot of cricket. It instills love for cricket. And it keeps on increasing.” The day might not be very long when cricket returns that love to Shedge.