Madhya Pradesh spinner Shivang Kumar made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad in their clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday, April 2, at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The left-arm wrist-spinner came in for pacer Eshan Malinga, who leaked 35 runs in two overs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in SRH’s IPL 2026 opener.
Hailed as India’s Noor Ahmad, Shivang has built a reputation for troubling batters with his left-arm spin while also offering value as a lower-order batter, making him one of the more intriguing uncapped names in IPL 2026. Sunrisers Hyderabad snapped up the 23-year-old for Rs 30 lakh at last year’s mini auction.
Read Full Story
IPL 2026, KKR vs SRH | Updates | Scorecard
Shivang caught the eye during the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier this year, producing a breakout performance for Madhya Pradesh. He picked up 10 wickets in three matches at an impressive economy rate of 5.16 and also registered his maiden five-wicket haul in a win over Karnataka in Ahmedabad. That spell firmly placed him on the radar as one of SRH’s shrewdest low-cost acquisitions.
In four T20 matches so far, Shivang has claimed four wickets at an economy rate of 8.05. His best figures of 4-0-25-3 came against Bihar at Eden Gardens during the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
HOW SHIVAM KUMAR BROKE INTO THE IPL
Before the IPL 2026 auction, Shivang Kumar attended trials with Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals, all of whom gave him encouraging feedback. Sunrisers Hyderabad also invited him twice, but he could not attend due to scheduling clashes with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and a cancelled session.
Even so, the positive response from multiple franchises convinced Shivang that his IPL breakthrough was only a matter of time, making SRH’s eventual backing all the more special.
Shivang’s cricket journey has been deeply shaped by his father, Praveen Kumar, a Railways employee and former Bengal Ranji cricketer. Growing up in Rewa, a region known for producing pacers like Kuldeep Sen and Ishwar Pandey, Shivang learned the game under his father’s watchful eye.
One of Praveen’s boldest decisions was turning him from a right-arm bowler into a left-arm spinner, despite Shivang being naturally right-handed, a move he later called his father’s “masterpiece.”
A key turning point came after he failed to make the Under-14 team and quit cricket for five months. However, inspired by MS Dhoni’s biopic and encouraged by his brother, Shivang returned with renewed determination.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– Ends
Published By:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published On:
Apr 2, 2026 19:49 IST
