IPL 2026 | 'Are Shedge, kya batting keli re': Punjab Kings' Suryansh Shedge reveals special chat with Rohit Sharma

"Our talks were always about how well I was batting in the nets and how I could get an opportunity at any time. I remember after the fourth or fifth game, after a net session, he took me aside and asked if I was frustrated. At first, I said 'No'. He said, 'Be honest.' So I told him 'Yes,' at night I did feel it sometimes. He said he understood (my situation) and told me that 'four or five players from our franchise could walk into the playing XI of any other franchise.' He said that 'it is easy to get bogged down and start thinking negatively, but harder to stay in the present and keep focusing on preparation so that when the chance comes, you are switched on and ready.' That talk helped me a lot, and I was really honoured to have that conversation with him. It was a heart-to-heart. That is why I always say Ricky sir is one of the best coaches I have played under," Shedge said.

"With Ricky sir, it has always been about preparation, preparation, preparation. He keeps reminding us that this is what brought success in the first phase of this IPL and in last year’s IPL. He also says that whatever happens, you have to back yourself, be courageous and know that you belong. In the end, when it all comes down to facing the ball, it helps," he added.

There's a comfort factor that the young allrounder enjoys with his PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, who is also his skipper in the Mumbai T20 side. "Shreyas Bhai and I talk a lot about cricket. Sometimes he asks me about his batting, sometimes I ask him about mine. Constructive criticism is necessary, and only a healthy team environment can provide that," Shedge said.

Sharing about how a chat with Iyer during apre-season intra-squad warm-up match had a positive impact on him, Shedge said, "I remember an internal practice game before the IPL started. I was batting well and was on 65 or 70 not out, while Shreyas Bhai was in the fielding side and Arshdeep (Singh) bhai was bowling. I hit two boundaries off the first two balls. Then he bowled all the yorkers. I tried to play a scoop and ended up at the non-striker’s end, wondering what went wrong. Shreyas bhai was at covers, and I asked him if I had moved early. He told me, 'You’re batting well, don’t overthink.' That really stayed with me before the season started. That is how you are ready when you actually go out to bat in the middle. If I had started thinking about things that are not in my control, or if I had let negative thoughts enter my head, I would not have been able to perform in that situation. He always keeps me on my toes, and we talk a lot about cricket — technique, attitude, and what both of us can do better. That is how we keep the environment positive."

In Mumbai, Shedge trains under former India player and selector Jatin Paranjape at the Vasu Paranjape Cricket Centre. "Suryansh is the next big thing in the making (in Mumbai and Indian cricket). I'm proud of this kid," Paranjape told TOI.

"Sharing what advice Paranjape gives to him about his game, which is basically about "staying in the present," the Mumbaikar said, "His advice is simple: 'Do what you can today. Think about today, not tomorrow or yesterday.' If I start thinking in those terms, I will not be giving myself the best chance to grow. He asks me to stay in the present and make the most of the day. He told me 'Whenever you are overthinking, come to him and talk things through — it can be about cricket or life. You just need to feel light when your head hits the pillow and be ready for the next day," he said.

Quizzed about the Punjab Kings' multiple fielding blunders in IPL-2026 so far, Shedge said, "It's not just us that are doing blunders. That can happen to any franchisee and that has happened in the past. So I don't think we should be paying attention to that. Because when we were winning games and we were grabbing all the chances, we were the same players, right? We were the same team. So that tells you that it's a temporary thing and we'll get out of it."