‘Keep emotions in check,’ MS Dhoni’s advice to Suryansh Shedge:PBKS star wants to face Jasprit Bumrah, lauds Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy

The fact that MS Dhoni is arguably one of the best finishers in cricket history needs no special mention. Over the years, Dhoni’s finishing skills have come to the fore time and again, and there aren’t many who know better about what it takes to close out games. Punjab Kings’ youngster Suryansh Shedge picked the brains of the Chennai Super Kings legend in a bid to successfully establish himself as a successful finisher. Suryansh, who joined Punjab Kings last season, will hope to make a mark for the two-time finalists this time around. Bhaskar English caught up with Suryansh in an exclusive interview where the youngster talked about the heartbreak last year, being part of the Punjab Kings dressing room and his goals in the upcoming IPL. ‘Keep your emotions in check’ Dhoni is a man of few emotions, at least when he is out on the cricket field. No wonder he earned the nickname ‘Mr Cool’ for showing absolute calmness even in the direst of situations. And ‘Thala’ had a similar advice for young Suryansh – keep things simple and your emotions in check. “He (Dhoni) just told me that, as a finisher, you need to keep your ears closed. You need to just put your head down and work. Secondly, he said that the more instinctive you are, the better you perform. And it all depends on the kind of clarity you have. Because if you start to listen to others and start expecting a lot more from yourself, you’ll overthink and then cloud your judgment. So he said, ‘It’s better to keep things simple,” said Suryansh. He continued, “If you play 10 games, you will get to bat in six of those games. And then in six of those games, you’ll get to bat properly in three of those games, even if you’re able to finish one or two games in those three games, I think you’re doing your job. So it’s important to keep your emotions in check and just focus on what’s important.” Also read: IPL media rights to remain stagnant at $5.4 billion: Why world’s biggest cricket league may suffer ₹16 crore loss per match value? Suryansh on being a finisher Suryansh attracted eyeballs for his finishing acts in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 campaign. One such instance that season saw Mumbai chase down a steep 230-run target with Shedge smashing an unbeaten 30* off eight deliveries. In the final against Madhya Pradesh, Shedge struck 36* off just 15 balls to take Mumbai home. When asked about the mindset of a finisher, he said that the key was not to overthink much and try to get into the bowler’s head. “We were playing Andhra in a must-win game last season and needed 30-odd runs off 15 balls, and two wickets fell in front of me. So the next over I got strike,” he said. “So because I’d seen two balls from the non-strikers’ end, I knew what the bowlers were planning to do. So it’s like when I went on strike, I kind of knew what was going to come. And that happens when you’re in the moment, and you’re just watching the ball,” the Mumbai cricketer explained. Further stressing the importance of not overcomplicating things, he said, “So it’s important to just focus on the ball and let things happen. Because if you start to overcomplicate things, I think that’s where you’re not at your best.” Also read: Biggest league season ever, 16 matches per team: Restriction on family travel, sleeveless jerseys; how is the 19th edition different? ‘Shreyas Iyer’s attitude makes a huge difference’ Shreyas Iyer has been one of the most impressive captains in the IPL. The Mumbai star led Kolkata Knight Riders to the trophy in 2024 and almost achieved history last year, becoming the first captain to win back-to-back IPL titles with two separate teams. Iyer’s captaincy skills have drawn praise from several quarters, and young Suryansh is also an admirer of his fellow Mumbai teammate’s leadership. “I think the attitude makes a huge difference because he (Shreyas) is someone who thinks we can win from any situation. I think that creeps into the other players as well. And then all of us are on the same page as soon as we step onto the field. So I think that attitude of winning from any situation makes a huge difference,” the 23-year-old said. The youngster is not wrong, though, when he said that Shreyas believes in winning from any situation. Last season, Punjab Kings were shot out for just 111 in 15.3 overs in Mullanpur against KKR. And Iyer’s team managed to pull off the unthinkable, winning the contest by 16 runs and in the process, defending the lowest score in IPL history. “The way he backs his players, and there were a lot of uncapped players last year, and the way he spoke to them and backed them. He’s always been that kind of a leader. He tries to create a good environment and put his faith in players so that they can go out there and express themselves. He’s a problem solver,” he added. Additionally, he also spoke about sharing the dressing room with Shreyas and head coach Ricky Ponting, a combination that has proven to be successful in the IPL. He said, “I think it’s important to be grateful when you’re in such a setup. I think I’ve learned a lot from both of them and the kind of rapport they have.” “And at the end of the day, it’s because of my hard work and the amount of hard work and sacrifices my parents have made that I’m here. I think they’re 99% of the time on the same page. So it’s like when things are aligned, your team does better,” added the young cricketer. Suryansh Shedge eager to face Jasprit Bumrah Jasprit Bumrah has arguably been one of the best in this generation across formats for quite some time now. And not many would be keen on taking on the premier Indian pacer who is at the peak of his powers at the moment- his performance at the T20 World Cup being an example. But Suryansh is looking forward to facing the modern-day great in the upcoming IPL. “I want to face Jasprit Bumrah. The kind of work he’s done for our country, the number of games he’s won and the kind of ability he has, I think it’s unbelievable,” he said. The longevity, the amount of games he’s played, and still maintaining the same run rate and same economy, I think hats off. So that’s someone I would like to face for sure,” the PBKS all-rounder added. Also Read: Punjab Kings aim for maiden IPL crown under Shreyas Iyer: PBKS SWOT analysis On his personal goal in the IPL Apart from winning the IPL with Punjab Kings, which of course is the ultimate goal, Suryansh is also looking forward to making an impact in all three departments. “Personally, for me, I think this season I want to contribute with whatever I’m getting, in whatever capacity I can, in all three departments. Because that’s something that I’ve done from the start, from when I was really young, when I stepped onto the field, I wanted to win games for my team. So as and when I get the opportunity, I will try to do the same,” he said. Punjab Kings looking to revisit 2025 formula Punjab Kings were one of the best teams in IPL 2025 and it can be gauged by the fact that they won nine out of 14 matches, topped the points table and made it to the final. Although the elusive title did not come their way, Suryansh said that there were many positives out of the campaign last year. “It’s like we did everything well throughout the season and we fell short in the end, but it’s okay to be disappointed in the moment, but it’s important for you to realise that you had a great season and that there were a lot of positives going into this tournament as well. So we would try to replicate the same preparations and the same routine because that really did help us,” he said.