Kolkata Knight Riders have had a topsy-turvy season that sees them still remain in the mix for playoffs progression, but far from cementing a spot in the next round. While inconsistent performances have hurt the team's results this campaign, the emergence of wrist-spinner Suyash Sharma has been a big positive. While the verdict from the cricketing fraternity is a positive one for Suyash, the young spinner himself shared a sorry tale of a selection snub that saw him shave his head in frustration.
In an interview with IPL, Suyash said that he was rejected during the U19 trials. Having cried over the situation for a couple of hours, he then shaved his head in disappointment.
"Last year I gave trials for U-19 and performed well," Suyash told IPL in an interview, "I wasn't selected and then between 12:30 am and 1 am, they put out a list but I was asleep. I got up around 3 and kept crying for two hours. I was told they want to see me bowl once. I went there but was told they won't entertain me. I returned crying, came home and shaved my head. I was quite disappointed. Couldn't believe despite doing well, this was happening to me," Suyash said.
Suyash has truly been the find of the season for the Knight Riders, producing multiple impactful performances this year. What's worth noting is the fact that he was picked by the franchise for his base price of Rs. 20 Lakhs in the IPL 2023 auction.
"I vowed to work on my skills so much so that one day, they will call me up themselves. Then slowly hair started growing back, performance also improved so I decided to let them be. The hairstyle suited me and hence the long hair," said Suyash.
"I was appreciated during the (IPL) trials but wasn't sure if it was going to lead to selection. During the auction, I was just returning from a 25-day trial. The moment I stepped out of the rickshaw, I got inundated with calls. It was then I realised that probably I've been picked. My father was at the airport and he was also crying. Can't explain that feeling. I was not at all expecting to be picked," he further revealed.
The spinner, this season, has picked up 10 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 28.00.