From Domestic Grind to National Hero: How Manav Suthar Earned His Stripes
For a young cricketer, going unsold at the IPL auction can feel like a devastating setback. For Rajasthan’s Manav Suthar, however, the disappointment of the 2023 auction proved to be nothing more than a momentary detour. Despite a stellar domestic season in 2022-23—where he claimed 39 wickets in just six matches—the left-arm spinner’s breakthrough was not found in the glitz of the league, but in the steady accumulation of trust from India’s top cricketing minds.
Today, the 24-year-old is the talk of the cricketing world after spinning India to a commanding 165-run victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle. Returning a match-winning haul of 10 wickets—four in the first innings and six in the second—Suthar demonstrated exactly why he has been quietly marked as the next big thing in Indian spin bowling.
The Architect of a Silent Rise
Suthar’s ascent was not an overnight miracle; it was a carefully nurtured process overseen by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). His journey into the national consciousness began in 2019 during his U-19 debut against South Africa, where he flourished under the guidance of Rahul Dravid.
When VVS Laxman assumed the role of head of the NCA in 2021, Suthar’s development became a point of focus. According to his long-time mentor and coach in Sri Ganganagar, Dheeraj Sharma, the legendary Indian batter played a pivotal role in ensuring the spinner stayed on the selectors’ radar.
"Laxman had told the then-chief selector Chetan Sharma that ‘he is a very good spinner, do watch him’," Dheeraj revealed. "So, he came specially to watch."
The Performance That Sealed the Deal
That endorsement proved critical in January 2023. When Chetan Sharma traveled to Jodhpur to observe Suthar in a Ranji Trophy encounter against Chhattisgarh, the youngster did not just bowl well; he dominated. Suthar scored an unbeaten 64 with the bat before dismantling the opposition with a 10-wicket match haul.
This all-round prowess made him an intriguing prospect for the national team, especially as the selectors began looking for long-term successors for stalwarts like Ravindra Jadeja.
A Unique Skill Set
Coach Dheeraj Sharma emphasizes that Suthar’s success is rooted in his technical distinctiveness. "I always used to tell him that his skill set is not present in any other left-arm orthodox spinner," Dheeraj explained. "That skill is now part of his muscle memory."
Having proven his mettle in the Duleep Trophy and the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup—where he took 10 wickets in five matches—Suthar has transitioned from a domestic workhorse to a genuine international contender. As he continues to extract bite and control from challenging surfaces, the young spinner from Rajasthan is proving that while his rise may have been quiet, his impact on the game is set to be loud.
