Suyash's wrong 'un turned out to be right one for RCB

A native of the swarming lanes of Bhajanpura in North East Delhi, Suyash Sharma turned out to be the unlikely hero for Royal Challengers Bengaluru on the night of the IPL Qualifier 1 against table-toppers Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.

- Samreen Razzaqui

NEW DELHI:

The wiry leg-spinner, who once had a mop of hair but now dons a more slick hairstyle, delivered a game-changing spell of 3/17, dismantling PBKS hopes with the wickets of Shashank Singh, Musheer Khan and Marcus Stoinis — all with his googly.

PBKS were already in trouble at 59/5 when Suyash was asked to bowl but the two wickets in his first over sealed the collapse.

"The coaches have told me just one thing: I have to hit the stumps — whether it's a googly, leg-break or flipper," he said after the match. "There was some help from the pitch, but I think my googly is what made the difference."

Suyash's wrong 'un has always been his secret weapon.

A pivotal figure in Suyash's journey was the late coach Suresh Batra, who mentored him during his early years. The googly was also what first caught the attention of the Delhi selectors during his U-25 trials.