“He has an X-factor because his arm speed is very quick” - Nitish Rana on Suyash Sharma

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Nitish Rana refused to term young leg-spinner Suyash Sharma as a mystery spinner. Instead, he described the 19-year-old as a bowler with an X-factor because of his quick arm speed.

Suyash was brought in as the ‘impact player’ during KKR’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, April 6. He impressed with figures of 3/30 from his four overs as KKR hammered RCB by 81 runs.

In a post-match press conference, the Kolkata skipper opened up on the young spinner and his impressive performance against RCB. Rana commented:

“Suyash Sharma is not a mystery spinner. He’s a normal leg-spinner. But yes, he has an X-factor because his arm speed is very quick. He has an orthodox (unorthodox) action and it’s not easy to pick him. He is very quick in the air. If the batter is in doubt over whether the ball is a googly or a leg-spinner, 100 percent he is in trouble.”

Head coach Chandrakant Pandit also praised Suyash over his bowling effort. Speaking after KKR’s thumping win, he commented:

"We have seen him at trial matches. He is very quick in the air, and it's very tough to pick him. It's just the inexperience; but he showed a fighting attitude.”

The young leg-spinner dismissed Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat and Karn Sharma as RCB were bowled out for 123, chasing a huge target of 205.

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“We have waited for a long time” - Nitish Rana on returning to Eden Gardens

KKR’s match on Thursday also marked the franchise's return to their home venue, Eden Gardens.

In the last couple of seasons, the iconic stadium has missed out on hosting games due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Expressing satisfaction at being able to deliver a clinical performance for fans, Rana said:

“We have waited for a long time. We are coming back after three years. As a captain, I cannot give a better gift to my supporters. I have played here during my first two years (with KKR) and I know how loud the crowd is here. I would like to thank the crowd.”

KKR batted first after losing the toss and posted 204/7 as Shardul Thakur top-scored with 68 off 29 balls. Varun Chakaravarthy then claimed 4/15 to spin a web around Bangalore’s batters.