New Delhi: Young Mumbai and Punjab Kings all-rounder Suryansh Shedge, who made his maiden India call-up on Tuesday after replacing the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy in India’s T20I series against Ireland and England, was full of excitement.“In fact, I can’t turn it off, and I think I won’t be able to turn it off until I get on the plane! I still can’t believe it! This has been my dream since I was a child. And obviously, it’s a very special feeling. And I feel very proud and very happy for my parents (Prashant and Priyadarshini), for the sacrifices they would have, I couldn’t for me. a football player,” the 23-year-old told TOI.“My mother works in a bank, but she quit because she accompanied me to practice and matches,” he said.Shedge has been under the tutelage of former India batsman Jatin Paranjape for the past two years, with the former cricketer working hard to see his ward perform.Appreciating his coaches, Shedge said, “The way Manish Bangera, Jatin and Monty Desai have supported me in my journey, it’s very interesting because they really believed in me. If the environment is such that everyone knows what I can do, and if they keep telling me all the time (about my skills), confidence will come automatically. So, that helped me a lot.”It will help Shedge who played under Shreyas Iyer, India’s new T20 captain at Mumbai and Punjab Kings.“It is true. In the last two years, I have made four tours under him – in SMAT, Vijay Hazare Trophy, India A and IPL. “He’s someone who gives 100% in terms of emotion and commitment to the team, and that emotion permeates every aspect,” Shedge said.Announcing Shedge’s selection as Reddy’s replacement after a quadriceps injury, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said, “Suryansh was called up after a very good performance for India A in the recently concluded series in Sri Lanka. Batting in the middle, the 23-year-old scored 147 runs in five matches and also came in with the ball, bowling 23 overs in the entire match. He was also one of Mumbai’s standouts in their successful Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in 2024-25, scoring 131 runs at a low-wicket average of 251.92.“Apparently, Shedge’s ability to produce big hits in the slog overs, as well as contribute to a few middle overs, has won the trust of Ajit Agarkar and his fellow selectors.India begin their tour with a two-match T20I against Ireland in Belfast on Friday before taking on England in a five-match T20I series, starting in Chester-le-Street on July 1.However, Shedge felt he “should have done better” in the three matches in Sri Lanka.“I didn’t do well in the last two games,” he lamented.India are scheduled to play five T20Is and three ODIs in England in July. Incidentally, India does not have all star jobs Hardik Pandya on the UK tour due to a quadriceps injury and work related issues. Reddy was expected to fill the void left by Hardik, but now Shedge has been tasked to fill those big shoes.After doing well in India A, are they looking forward to this opportunity?“No. For the last two or three years, my thought was not to have any expectations from my cricket, because I think that at this time, it is important to remind yourself why you started playing cricket. I was 8-10 years old and I used to step on the field, I just used to play the game. So, somewhere along the way, we forget that. However, for the last two or three years, I have been giving thanks and reminding myself why I started playing cricket,” he said.“So I have no expectations,” he added.Shedge’s CV was boosted by his ability to field a useful version of mid-range speed.“I think my football has improved a lot in the last two years, and it’s something I’ve been working on very quickly, because I know how it can help the team. And if I want to contribute, I have to do better every day,” he said.Shedge scored 158 runs in seven matches at an average of 39.50 for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026.“I faced players from all over the world in the IPL, so that was a big confidence boost. And after being out for half the season, I felt proud to be playing in the XI,” he said.Who does he try to emulate as an all-rounder? The one around him smiles, “I worship Ben Stokes. If you see, they put 12 magic in the Ashes. And he has to do the same for his team. They have to contribute. So I look at him.”
