IPL: Suyash Sharma, unlikely hero of RCB triumph, takes pride in his googlies

It was a blessing in disguise for young Suyash Sharma, the leg spinner from Delhi, when Kolkata Knight Riders let him go after the 2024 season. There was only that much he could in a line-up which boasted quality spinners like a Sunil Narine or Varun Chakravarthy, but Royal Challengers Bangalore offered him the space for a lead spinner.

 The 22-year-old vindicated the faith in him in a big game like the Qualifier 1 on Thursday – hitting the rhythm with his googlies straightaway to knock off the lower middle order of Punjab Kings and finish with figures of 3-0-17-3. Suyash’s victims were the dangerman Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh and Musheer Khan – younger brother of Sarfaraz – as Shreyas Iyer’s men hurtled to 101 all out in 14.1 overs and the tone of the contest was set.

 ‘’I just tried to execute the plan given by our coach and was feeling really good while bowling today. I felt like no one was able to read my googlies, which gave me a lot of confidence. As a team, we treated it like any other match and didn’t put pressure on ourselves by thinking of it as a semi-final. The coaches have given me one role, which is to attack the stumps,’’ Suyash said later.

There were at least two other candidates who could have laid a claim to the Player of the Match plaque, what with Josh Hazlewood striking vital blows on his return to claim 3 for 21 while Phil Salt chipped in with a brisk fifty. However, Suyash earned allround praise with his control – which impressed skipper Rajat Patidar no end.

‘’The way Suyash chipped in, sticking to his lines and lengths, was really impressive. As a captain, I am very clear about his role with the ball. He has to target the stumps – that is his strength. His wrong’un is difficult for batters to read. I always try to give him clear instructions because I do not want to confuse him. I am okay if he concedes a few runs in the process,’’ remarked Rajat, who has done a commendable job as the new captain of a franchise with great expectations.

There were no shortage of doubters about his capabilities when the prolific Madhya Pradesh batter, now 31, was named as the captain almost by default. It’s to Rajat’s credit that he did not let the pressure get to him and was quite clear thinking as the leader – though he was only a modest success with the bat at 286 runs so far from 14 matches.

‘’I think we were clear in our plans, especially in terms of how we needed to bowl. The fast bowlers used the surface really well,’’ the captain said later. ‘’The way Phil Salt has been batting throughout the tournament, the way he gives us quick starts – I am a big fan of his. It is a treat to watch him from the dugout. I always want to thank the RCB fans. Wherever we go, it feels like we are playing at our home ground. Please keep supporting us,” he urged.

Salt, who could stay on to serve RCB in the play-offs stage because he was not selected for the England team in their ODI series at home against the West Indies, has proved to be an asset for the team in his first season itself. A quickfire 57 off 26 balls on Thursday made it a walk in the park for his new team, while KKR must be ruing their decision to not retain him.

Speaking to the RCB media team, Salt – a teamman to the core – said: ‘’It is a great feeling right now. The ball did move a bit but I do not think this was the worst wicket we have played on this season. During the chase, all I was thinking was: Do not get out to Arshdeep.

‘’We have played two group games against Punjab Kings and he has managed to dismiss me in different ways, so I was just focused on reacting to the ball. Before the game, I told Andy (Flower) that all the travel and breaks between matches might actually be a blessing in disguise for us. This win gives us momentum. It is a bit of a cliché, but it is true. At the back end of the tournament, that is exactly what you want – to find form and contribute with the bat or ball.’’