Madhya Pradesh Premier League: Sunrisers Hyderabad and Madhya Pradesh bowling all-rounder Shivang Kumar called an India cap his "ultimate goal" after putting up impressive performances in the IPL and in the domestic circuit.
Shivang, the left-arm wrist spinner, picked up nine wickets in 13 matches in IPL 2026 and was recently with the Indian Test squad as a net bowler for the one-off Test against Afghanistan and then in Sri Lanka.
However, an India cap remains his ultimate goal. "It feels good, but right now I am not dwelling on the fact that I have played in the IPL and have served as India's net bowler - every player in the IPL is one of the best from their state or country, which is why the IPL is the best league in the world," he said, as quoted by Cricinfo.
"So going and performing there, it still takes a bit of time to sink in. But IPL is not the ultimate goal; India is the ultimate goal. There is still a long way to go, a lot of cricket to play. This was just the first season, and it was only the beginning," Shivang added.
Shivang went to the pre-season camp with the SRH and straightaway got a hint that he would be a regular in IPL 2026 for them. "I had received hints right from the first day of the pre-season camp that I was going to feature in the playing XI from the very first match," Shivang said about his SRH experience.
"The coaches were discussing strategies with me, setting up different scenarios for my bowling, and even telling me, 'you are our wicket-taker.' I had done well in the practice matches too, so I knew I would get an opportunity. I didn't get the chance in the opening match, but from the second match onwards, I became a regular."
He didn't have a great start to his IPL career; however, he took crucial wickets in his third match against the Punjab Kings. "The team management was very positive and confident that I would do well. Because of their confidence, I developed the self-belief that I could perform well even at this level," Shivang said.
"A new player needs exactly this kind of environment to grow and bring out their best. It works like magic, and you perform well. Whatever I could, I delivered this year, and hopefully, I will do even better next year."
He also spoke on the support he received from head coach Daniel Vettori and bowling coach Varun Aaron. "As a spinner himself, (head coach Daniel) Vettori understands a bowler's mindset. Sometimes, when I leaked runs and went wicketless for a couple of games, he would come up to me during the strategic timeouts and tell me, 'You are bowling well; even good balls can be hit for sixes, so don't think much about it.' That support meant a lot, making me feel that I could pull things back," he said on Vettori.
"If I didn't bowl well or went for runs in a match, Varun bhaiya never let me feel low. On those days, he would speak to me using very kind, positive words and would even tell me, 'You are bowling now at just 50% of your potential; you can do much better.' When a player who has represented the country in Test cricket tells you things like that, it gives you a massive boost," Shivang reflected on Aaron's support.
Shivang already brings a rare left-arm wrist spin to the game, but he becomes even more unique as he can bat too. He did not get much chance with the SRH, but he has batted at a 180.22 strike rate in the ongoing Madhya Pradesh Premier League.
"If I didn't bowl well or went for runs in a match, Varun bhaiya never let me feel low. On those days, he would speak to me using very kind, positive words and would even tell me, 'You are bowling now at just 50% of your potential; you can do much better.' When a player who has represented the country in Test cricket tells you things like that, it gives you a massive boost," Shivang reflected on Aaron's support.
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Article Source: IANS