IPL 2023: Meet Suyash Sharma, KKR's new mystery spinner

Suyash Sharma, Kolkata Knight Riders' impact player was evidently the most impactful player of the KKR vs RCB game as the hosts crushed the Faf du Plessis side by a mammoth 81-run margin.

But who is this 19-year-old, who interestingly, hasn't even played any List A, first-class, or any T20 game so far?

KKR's young gun who shone brightly with a 3-wicket haul in their debut game was bought by the Kolkata-based franchise last year's mini-auction for 20 lakhs.

The right-arm leg-spinner hails from Bhajanpura area of East Delhi and before his debut at Eden Gardens the teenager had only played in age-group tournaments for and in Delhi.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore credited the discovery of the spin talent to his franchise's scout who first spotted him during an under-25 game in Delhi and was later flown down to the KKR academy in Mumbai before the IPL auction for trials.

Although he wasn't a part of the playing XI, Sharma was introduced later as an impact player in place of Venkatesh Iyer. The rookie cricketer turned heads as he choked RCB in the web he spun alongside Vraun Chakravarthy.

He took 3 wickets, 2 of which came in a span of 5 deliveries. He got the prized wickets of Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik first and then ousted Karn Sharma later.

Praising him, KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit said that Sharma 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', Pandit added.