Manav Suthar earns maiden Test call-up, steps into the Ravindra Jadeja succession plan

JAIPUR: The search for a longterm heir to Ravindra Jadeja’s spin-bowling allrounder role has been a quiet priority for national selectors.


Now, a new name has entered the conversation: Manav Suthar. Suthar’s consistent domestic performances have been rewarded with a maiden Test squad call-up for the oneoff Test against Afghanistan. The selection makes him the first player from Rajasthan since Pankaj Singh in 2014 to make it to the Test side.






Born in Sriganganagar, a district in northern Rajasthan, the 23-year-old left-arm spinner trains at the SK Bihani Cricket Academy under coach Dheeraj Sharma.


“In 2014, Manav’s father brought him to the academy, saying, ‘ Isko batsman banana (make him a batsman).’ After trials, I told him his son’s strength lay in bowling, but that we would work on his batting once his spin-bowling skills develop,” Sharma said.


Like most kids starting out in the game, Manav too wanted to bat. “My coach saw me bowl and told me to shift my focus toward spin bowling. That single observation changed my direction and started my career,” the young spinner said, adding, “Yuvraj sir is my favorite. When it comes to spin bowling, Ashwin bhaiya is my idol. There is so much to learn just by watching him bowl. I actually got the chance to speak with him during the India ‘A’ tour. He shared a lot of valuable insights with me.”


The day Manav’s father, Jagdish Kumar, a physical education teacher in a private school, got his son enrolled in the academy, he did not consult his wife. “Her initial reaction was, ‘Why? Let him study’. But today she too is proud of him. “Since I am a PT teacher, I was always interested in sports and when I saw my son developing a liking for cricket, I took him to the academy,” he said.
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