PBKS 'haven't achieved their goal yet, we must cross the finish line this time: Suryansh Shedge

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Punjab Kings batting all-rounder Suryansh Shedge said the franchise hasn’t achieved its goal yet of winning the title after becoming runners-up in IPL 2025, adding that the squad heads into the upcoming season with unfinished business firmly on their minds.

PBKS reached only its second IPL final in 2025 but fell short by six runs to eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Ahmedabad.

"We haven't achieved our goal yet. So I think we'll go in with the same mindset again this year. I think all of us talked to each other in some way or the other and brought that topic up.

“Directly nahi hoi wo baat" (The talk didn’t happen directly). But I think all of us have spoken to each other about the fact that we just fell short and how we have to cross the finish line this time,” Shedge told IANS in an exclusive conversation, facilitated by JSW Sports.

Shedge, who had five IPL appearances in the 2025 season (though he didn’t get to post any noteworthy performance, wasted no time since the season ended.

Playing domestic games for Mumbai in both senior and U23 teams has kept him sharp.

"It's like in the last month, I've played about three to four red-ball matches. So I'm trying to sneak in a lot of wide-ball sessions also in between. It's working well for now, but the preps started last year after the IPL ended, so I don't think I have to rush anything. It's like a process, so I think it's on the right track."

Aside from being in a thriving PBKS atmosphere, Shedge had a memorable moment when he met his childhood idol Virat Kohli.

"From looking at him playing on the screen to sharing the ground with him, it was surreal and unbelievable a few times. But I think watching him go about his business, even in practice sessions, I learnt a lot about how professional he is and the energy he brings.

"But the first time when I met him, when I was shaking his hand, I couldn't believe it. I was jittery and had goosebumps because he's been my idol since I started playing cricket. So it was a very, it was a huge moment for me personally, in terms of my cricketing career, because I always dreamt of playing alongside him, and I think let's keep it at that."

The pre-season camp in Udaipur earlier this year also gave Shedge time to spend with fellow Mumbaikar and new spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule. "So basically, I think we have a couple of guys who are new in the coaching staff. I know Sairaj sir really well because he's from Mumbai. It was really good to work with him in that camp.

“I had a lot of good interactions with him regarding my bowling and batting because he's been around the IPL circuit for a number of years now, and he has that experience in him.

So it was great learning things from him.

“Secondly, because you meet your teammates after a year – so I think it's good to have such camps because then you can rekindle and talk to your teammates and build that rapport with them again."

Being in the high-pressure environment in the IPL gave tonnes of lessons to Shedge. “I feel like controlling your emotions is one thing when you're playing a high-stakes game. It's like if your emotions go up and down, you might not perform at your best.

So that's one thing I've learnt.

“Secondly, situational awareness – I've always given 100 per cent to my team since I was a young child. But I hate losing – so I think that final also taught us a lot as a team and me as an individual," he said.

Though Shedge captained Mumbai on a tour of England and earned India A selection, Shedge said his internal preparation has been the real work in progress. "I think life remains the same – the preparations get tougher and you're a bit more hard on yourself because you can see that goal and that goal is in reach.

“You're so close yet so far. So I think you try to work harder, and I think it has helped me in that way. The acceptance part is accepting that you need to improve on something and these are your strengths; this is what you need to improve on. I think that has given me a lot of clarity of where I stand right now."

The hyper, win-at-all-costs kid from Mumbai is being steadily replaced by steady patience, which Shedge said wasn’t the case a few years ago. "I don't think that was the case if you ask me two, three years back.

I was always this hyper kid, and I've always wanted to win, as I said.

“So I didn't know how to control my emotions. I think once you grow up and you start to see what is working for you and what's not working for you, you try to inculcate some changes and work on the things that need to be worked on. I think accepting the fact that I need to work on something helped me a lot.

“Then, as soon as you notice something, you need to get to work asap. You can't just linger around and let it be for some other day.

So I think getting things done in that instant has helped me a lot. I wouldn't say I'm a patient guy. There's a lot of scope of improvement right now, but I think I'm on the path to becoming a patient human being."

Much of PBKS unlikely run to the final last year, Shedge believes, was built on a dressing room environment created by Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer – who share a good rapport from their Delhi Capitals days. "When everyone on the team comes together and has one similar goal, beautiful things happen.

Since we started getting together for camps before last year's IPL, I think the goal was pretty clear.

“When you have a support staff that is for the players, they want to support the players, and I think it makes a huge difference. The relationship of Ricky sir and Shreyas bhai also – I think they go way back during the Delhi Capitals time also.

“So I think that helped us because they were familiar with each other and they were more often than not on the same page.

The environment always was light because Arshdeep (Singh) paaji was also there. He likes having a few laughs, and it was always a good time. So that's why we did really well."

For Shedge, who shot into the limelight by being a vital cog in Mumbai winning the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he ended the recent domestic season without silverware and was candid about how he fared in it. "Our goal was to lift all the three trophies, but that couldn't happen. Nevertheless, I think we performed very well as a group.

Sometimes things just don't click – so it's like it was one of those years.

“Everyone was on the same page and was working hard. There were a lot of contributions from each and every individual in different games. But sometimes it just doesn't happen. So now we know what we need to improve on, and we can go in better prepared for next season.

"Personally for me also, I feel like in whatever opportunities I got, I could have done better. So as I said, the acceptance part, and that's how we grow.

I wouldn't call it losing or failing. We were just learning as a group and I as an individual."

Heading into IPL 2026, Shedge's aim is simple – contribute across all three departments and help PBKS finally lift the trophy that eluded them by the narrowest of margins in 2025. "Obviously, the main goal will be lifting the trophy. But for me personally, I want to contribute in all the three departments, be it batting, bowling or fielding, because that's what I'm known for.

“Then, making an impact, contributing to my team's victory has always been very important, and I think I'll try to do that this year. In whichever way I can help my team, I'll try to help them," he concluded.

--IANS

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