Former India cricketer and national selector Jatin Paranjape has expressed strong confidence in seam-bowling all-rounder Suryansh Shedge, saying the youngster has the skill and temperament to represent India for the next ten years. Shedge earned his maiden India call-up for the T20I tours of Ireland and England after being named as a replacement for injured Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was ruled out with a left quadriceps injury sustained during the third ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai.

Why Shedge's Call-Up Matters

With Hardik Pandya also sidelined by a leg niggle, India's fast-bowling all-rounder stocks are stretched thin. Shedge's inclusion fills a critical gap, and his progress will be closely monitored by the team management and selectors. Paranjape, who has been coaching Shedge for the past two years at the Vasoo Paranjape Cricket Centre in Mumbai, believes the conditions on this tour suit the youngster perfectly.

'He is a natural T20 cricketer and that will go in his favour. He will find international cricket has more intensity than IPL cricket. So, it will take him three or four games to get used to it. But I have no doubt that he has the talent and the mental strength to play for India for the next 10 years,' Paranjape said in an exclusive conversation on Wednesday.

Recent Form That Earned the Call-Up

Shedge arrives in strong form. He scored 158 runs in seven innings at an average of 39.50 and a strike rate of 175.55 for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. He followed that up with 147 runs at a strike rate of 120.49 and 23 overs bowled across five innings for India A in their 50-over tri-series win in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. Notably, Shedge had earlier won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Bombay virtually single-handedly in 2024-25.

The Coaching Work Behind the Scenes

Paranjape, co-founder of KheloMore and a member of the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee, said the two years of preparation focused on refinement rather than reinvention. 'A couple of technical things with his batting and his bowling we focused on. But overall, just trying to look better,' he said, adding that mental conditioning — particularly consistent self-talk under pressure — was central to the work. 'The more you keep it simple, it's better as all the great players in the world keep it really, really simple,' Paranjape noted.

Captaincy, Support System and the Road Ahead

With Shreyas Iyer captaining the T20I side and Shubman Gill leading the ODI team, Paranjape is confident Shedge will be well supported. 'Shubman will take care of him in a very, very good manner because as a young person himself, he will understand the butterflies, the tension, the nervous energy that happens when you play your first few games,' he said. Paranjape also acknowledged the sacrifices of Shedge's parents, Prashant and Priyadarshini — the latter having left her banking career to support her son's cricketing journey. He signed off on a personal note, expressing that he wished his late father had been alive to witness the moment.

As Shedge departs for Ireland on his maiden India tour, the cricketing fraternity will be watching closely to see whether he can translate domestic promise into international impact.