MUMBAI: Apart from runs and wickets, a young cricketer proudly carries in his or her bag the praise of a senior player in the dressing room – a modern-day legend they look up to. Mumbai and Kings XI Punjab all-rounder Sujansh Shechi still remembers how happy he felt after the match. Rohit Sharma Praising his explosive knocks during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the former India captain joined Mumbai ahead of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 domestic season.The No. 6 batsman, Shechi made a quick cameo in Mumbai’s win over Hyderabad in the SMAT, hit 36 not out off 15 balls in the final against Madhya Pradesh, 36 not out off 12 balls in the quarter-final against Baroda, and hit 30 not out off just eight balls in the last league match against Andhra.
“One thing about Rohit bhai was that he was always positive. I remember he played for us after the Ranji Trophy when we (Mumbai) won the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. He told me, ‘Are Shedge, kya batting keli re. Ki Sagle Baghat Hoto Tikde Ekatra (What a brilliant batting you have, we are all watching!),'” Shedge recalled. An online media interaction event was held on Saturday in Dharamshala, where Kings XI Punjab will play their next three home matches starting from Monday. “I have talked to Rohit bhai many times and learned a lot. When you are in front of great players, even for a five-minute conversation, you learn a lot because you naturally become a good listener. When someone who has played cricket for 15-20 years and won matches for the country stands in front of you and talks about cricket, you know you have to be a good listener,” the 23-year-old said. Shechi, who was acquired by Kings XI Punjab for a base price of Rs 30 lakh in the November 2024 auction, had a poor performance in IPL-2025, scoring just 7 runs in five games at 2.33. This year, the young Turk spent the first eight games on the bench until he finally got his chance. Mumbai seized the opportunity and scored 57 off 29 balls in the first three games against the Gujarat Titans and 17 off 25 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring just three goals. Shetchi said becoming more instinctive at the crease and not thinking too much before each ball has helped improve his batting in this IPL this season. “One of the shifts I made, even in practice, was to be instinctive rather than premeditated, and that helped me be more successful,” Schech said.He revealed a “heart-to-heart” chat he had with PBKS head coach and former Australia great Ricky Ponting, in which the Mumbai all-rounder admitted that he was frustrated about not playing the tournament. Ponting motivated him to be ready and seize the opportunity when it comes. “Our conversations were always about how well I was hitting the ball in the nets and how I could always get a chance. I remember after the fourth or fifth game, after net practice, he pulled me aside and asked me if I was frustrated. At first, I said ‘no’. He said, ‘Honestly.’ So I told him ‘yeah,’ and I did feel that way at times at night. He said he understood (my situation) and told me ‘four or five players on our team could be on any other team’s roster.’“It’s easy to get bogged down and start thinking negatively, but it’s harder to stay in the moment and continue to focus on preparation so that when the opportunity comes, you’re ready,” he said. “That conversation helped me a lot, and I was honored to have that conversation with him. It was a heart-to-heart conversation. That’s why I always say Mr. Rickey is one of the best coaches I’ve ever coached,” Schech said.“For Mr. Rich, it’s always about being ready, ready, ready. He keeps reminding us that this is what made the first phase of this IPL and last year’s IPL a success. He also said that no matter what happens, you have to support yourself, be brave and know that you belong. In the end, when it all comes down to facing the ball, it helps,” he added.The young all-rounder feels comfortable with his PBKS captain Shreyas Iyerwho is also the captain of his Mumbai T20 team. “Shreyas Bhai and I talked a lot about cricket. Sometimes he asks me about his hitting and sometimes I ask him about mine. Constructive criticism is necessary and only a healthy team environment can provide this,” Shaich said.Sharing how a chat with Iyer during the pre-season intra-squad warm-up had a positive impact on him, Shechi said, “I remember an in-house practice match before the IPL started. I was batting well and scored 65 or 70 not out, while Shreyas Bhai was fielding and Arshdeep (Singh) bhai was bowling. I hit two boundaries in the first two balls. He then bowled to all the yorkers. I tried playing a spoon game and ended up in a non-striker position, wondering what was wrong. Shreyas bhai was at cover and I asked him if I had moved out early. He told me, ‘You’re playing well, don’t overthink it. ‘That was something that bothered me before the season started. When you actually go out to hit the ball, that’s how you prepare. If I start thinking about things that are out of my control, or if I let negative thoughts enter my head, I won’t be able to perform in that situation. He always keeps me on my toes and we talk a lot about cricket – technique, attitude and what we can do better. This is how we maintain a positive environment. “In Mumbai, Shechi was trained by former India player and selector Jatin Paranjape at the Vasu Paranjapur Cricket Centre. “Suryansh is the next big thing in Mumbai and Indian cricket. I am so proud of the kid,” Paranjape told TOI.Sharing the advice Paranjap gave him about the game, which was basically about ‘living in the moment’, the Mumbaikar said, “His advice was simple: ‘Do what you can do today. Think about today, not tomorrow or yesterday. “If I start thinking like that, I’m not giving myself the best chance to grow. He asked me to live in the moment and make the most of the day. He told me ‘Whenever you’re overthinking, just go and talk to him – it can be about cricket, it can be about life.’ When your head hits the pillow, you just have to feel relaxed and ready for the next day,” he said.When asked about Kings XI Punjab’s multiple defensive lapses so far in IPL-2026, Shechi said, “It’s not just us who are making mistakes. This can happen to any franchisee and it has happened in the past. So I don’t think we should focus on that. Because when we win games and take all the chances, we are the same players, right? We are the same team. So what that tells you is that this is a temporary thing and we will get out of it.”“
