Shivalik Sharma – New Mumbai Indians Find Was Once Not Good Enough for Domestic

#MumbaiIndians' new find Shivalik Sharma was once considered not good enough for domestic cricket. Here's his story.

Around this time last year, Shivalik Sharma – the promising batter from Baroda – was staring at disquiet precariousness. He was 24 years of age, with unwavering commitment fueling his conviction of becoming a cricketer, but it did not translate into a place in his domestic team.

Now, he is a mainstay in the Baroda limited-overs lineup, and is preparing himself to participate in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), having been signed by Mumbai Indians on 19 December’s auction.

The Quint spoke with the player to find out about his journey.

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How Shivalik Sharma Got Into Cricket

Albeit he calls cricketer his ‘everything’ now, Shivalik Sharma was not always a passionate enthusiast of the game. He reveals:

My cricketing journey started because of my father. I used to play ‘gully cricket’ with the kids of my society, but there never really were any ambitions of making it my profession. My father saw me batting and thought that with the kind of shots I was playing, I might have a future in cricket.

Shivalik Sharma, Mumbai Indians cricketer

Kiran Sharma, employed at an engineering and construction firm, contacted his friend to get his only child enrolled at the Youth Service Centre in Gujarat’s Sultanpura, when Shivalik was eleven years of age. In a few months, he was selected for the Baroda U12 team after his explosive batting at an open trial.

Since then, his association with Baroda has been consistent, but his passion for cricket would not blossom till seven years later.

I played in every age-level team of Baroda, but to be very honest, I was never really committed to cricket till I got into the U19 team. I used to be happy-go-lucky, with no serious aspirations of becoming a cricketer. But mazaa to tab aaya jab U19 mein runs banana laga (the fun began when I started scoring runs in U19 cricket). I felt a spark in me, which told me from now onwards, cricket is my life and I can sacrifice everything for it.

Shivalik Sharma, Mumbai Indians cricketer

Getting Dropped From Baroda

In a harsh anti-thesis to whatever is known about destiny and fate, Shivalik, whose career was perfectly on track when he was not particularly serious about the game, saw his aspirations getting derailed the very moment he decided to dedicate his soul and sweat to cricket.

It was a smooth ride till the U23 level, but everything came crashing down when I got into the U25 team. I got two chances but did not do well in either of those, resulting in getting dropped from the main squad. I was then made the 16th player of the team. I used to go to the stadiums with the team, but had to sit on the stands instead of the dugout because only the first 15 were allowed to sit on the dugout. That felt really bad.

Shivalik Sharma, Mumbai Indians cricketer

A Lucky Break

In hindsight, however, Shivalik considers that chapter as life-defining, for now, he was fighting not just to become a professional cricketer, but to prove he can be one. His regular training sessions, albeit solitary and incognito, resulted in progression, which was on display after a stroke of fortune.

I got a lucky break. Before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), Baroda, Gujarat and Saurashtra compete in a tournament called the G1 Cup, just so the players get accustomed to T20 cricket. I was not supposed to play in it. I was practising all alone, because I was nowhere in Baroda’s plans. But one of the batters got injured just before the tournament and the chance came to me. I took it by scoring an unbeaten 45-ball 88 against Saurashtra. After that, I batted well in practice games and was selected for the SMAT squad.

Shivalik Sharma, Mumbai Indians cricketer

On this occasion, Shivalik did not let the opportunity slip, as he scored a 37-ball 46 on his SMAT debut against Jammu & Kashmir. Accumulating 114 runs at a strike rate of 134.11, he was selected for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Following a similar pattern, he cemented his place on his debut, scoring a half-century against Punjab.

The Mumbai Indians Chapter

For his domestic accomplishments, Shivalik was rewarded with a call-up to the Mumbai Indians trial by former India and Baroda wicketkeeper Kiran More, who is currently working as a scout with the five-time champions.

Although Kiran More sir knew me, seeing so many big names in the trial was a bit frightening. Coach Mark Boucher was there, alongside RP Singh and Vinay Kumar. But More sir came to me and calmed me down by saying ‘Just play to your strengths and do what you usually do, no need to try new things here.’

Shivalik Sharma, Mumbai Indians cricketer

Currently a part of Baroda’s Ranji Trophy squad, Shivalik has not had a chance to interact with his Mumbai Indians teammates, but for when he eventually does, he has a wishlist handy.

There are so many stars in Mumbai Indians, I want to learn from everyone. From Hardik Pandya, I want to learn how to hit big sixes. From Rohit Sharma, I want to learn how to anchor the innings and bat till the end, while from Suryakumar Yadav, I want to learn how to attack the bowlers from ball one.

Shivalik Sharma, Mumbai Indians cricketer

Having crossed obstacles to earn the Mumbai Indians blue, Shivalik – albeit cautiously – harbours the dream of donning the India blue.

Of course, playing for India is the ultimate goal, but I believe in the step-by-step approach. Right now, my focus is only Mumbai Indians. I just hope to get chances to express myself. I am ready to do my best in whichever role the team would give me.

Shivalik Sharma, Mumbai Indians cricketer

As he prepares for his next training session, Shivalik signs off by saying “Keep me in your prayers, I want to make this count.”