"Playing XI ke baare mein to end day tak pata nahi chalta" - Suryansh Shedge opens up on his debut for PBKS, experience with Ricky Ponting [Exclusive]

Punjab Kings' (PBKS) new all-rounder Suryansh Shedge recently shared his experience of playing his first ever Indian Premier League (IPL) match. The youngster said he did not know about the playing XI until the matchday, but coach Ricky Ponting kept him motivated.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Suryansh Shedge opened up on his debut IPL match against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on March 25.

Shedge had a fantastic campaign with Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which is why the Punjab Kings straightaway handed him his debut IPL cap in their first game of the 2025 season.

When asked about his debut IPL match experience and the build-up to it in the squad, Shedge said:

"When we came to Ahmedabad, Ricky Sir (Ricky Ponting) was constantly talking to me during practice. Playing XI ke bare mein to end day tak pata nahi chalta. I had no idea about the playing XI till the end of the day, as things keep changing according to the conditions. However, I had it in my mind that he could make me play and I was fully prepared for it. I was preparing according to that."

"When we were leaving for the match, Ricky Sir sent me 2-3 messages and this increased my confidence a lot. He is such an individual, who talks about attitude. If you are with him, then you will also become like him, his aim is only to win," he added.

Punjab Kings have been undefeated in IPL 2025 so far, recording two wins in two matches. Shedge credited Ricky Ponting, saying PBKS are looking like a different team this year because their only aim is to win.

"There was nothing much on my mind" - Suryansh Shedge on his mindset in his 1st IPL match

During the same interview, Suryansh Shedge opened up on his mindset during his debut game against the Gujarat Titans. Shedge did not get a chance to bat against GT as other batters did their jobs to perfection.

"There was nothing much on my mind and I knew that I have to play according to the situation. I said that the more balls I play, the more boundaries I will hit. At that time it was fun watching the way Shreyas bhai and Shashank bhai were batting. I was trying to learn a lot by watching their batting," Shedge said.

Suryansh Shedge did not get a chance to bat in his second game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) either. Punjab Kings will play their third match of IPL 2025 against the Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, April 5. It will be exciting to see if Shedge finally gets an opportunity to showcase his batting talent in the IPL.