It’s a “lucky break” for Suryansh Shedge, but he can turn his unexpected India call-up into a great learning experience by simply being there inside the dressing room with some help from young captains Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, says his mentor and former national selector Jatin Paranjape. Paranjape, also a former Indian player who has helped the Mumbai all-rounder over the last one and a half years, said that Iyer’s T20 leadership could be particularly reassuring for the young Shedge as the two have shared a great bond in Mumbai and Punjab Kings.
“Yeah, I think not only Shreyas but also (ODI captain) Shubman. Because both of them are young captains. And both of them are captains with a lot of empathy,” Paranjape told PTI after Shedge’s maiden India call-up following the injury-forced withdrawal of Nitish Kumar Reddy. “And they will understand the pressure Suryansh will be feeling, the nervousness that he will be feeling. Shreyas definitely, because they know each other, Suryansh has played under him. So, there will be a lot of comfort.”
“Mainly because he is young and he will be able to relate to what’s going on inside that debutant’s mind, basically. If you are able to be a sponge… And my advice to him is to be a sponge around all the champions in that dressing room. So, I think if he is able to adapt to that atmosphere, I think England is a great location,” he again said.
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Jatin Paranjape also said that the opportunity has come through hard work and should be embraced with humility.
“This has come as a lucky break. He accepts it with all humility and he will try to do his best for the team. That’s the message. Always be a team-man. Think like a captain and try to win games for your team,” he said. “I have been involved with him for probably the last year and a half. And he is a very, very talented cricketer and he has shown glimpses of that talent in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.”
“But what really enthuses me is that here is an all-rounder and we are looking for all-rounders. We are looking for fast bowling all-rounders, batsmen who can bowl medium pace. We are looking for spin all-rounders as well. So, I knew about him. But when we met, there were a few things which were kind of impeding his progress. And these are very natural roadblocks that top-flight cricketers face on their journey,” he further added.
“And at the end of the day, I think it was just about him knowing that I am here for him. I genuinely believed in him as a cricketer from an ability, from a skill perspective. But Subroto Banerjee and I are working on his bowling as well. There are a couple of technical things which Subbu (Banerjee’s nickname) is working on. And once those settle in over the next few months, I think he is a guy who will be then able to select himself as a batter or as a bowler. I think he will be genuinely an all-rounder,” he concluded.
