New Delhi: For most young cricketers, the safest route is often the most obvious. If you are a talented top batsman, keep batting. If you are a skilled left arm spinner, keep bowling. Shivang Kumar chose otherwise.The Bundelkhand Bulls Madhya Pradesh League (MPLT20) all-rounder knew early on that in modern cricket, just being good at any one might not be enough. To make a mark, he felt he needed something different—something that would make people notice.“As a batsman, I thought I was a very good top-order batsman. Apart from that, I always aspired to be an asset to the team and was always looking at what else I could contribute. You know, by picking wickets, you become an all-rounder on the side. The game requirements are different now. Normally it will not work; you need two or three variations as a bowler. So I became Chinese while developing my carrom ball. Then I worked on my googly which created a very good combination,” he told TimesofIndia.com in a virtual interaction.The transition was anything but easy. The natural hitter who was turning into a left-arm spinner drew skepticism. There were times when people around him wondered if he was making the right choice.“Yes, it (criticism) came a lot of times. People around me said this is just ruining your own career. You should focus on your batting. You spin well with your left arm, but I knew it wasn’t enough. If I become like the second one, who will also give me a chance at the top. So I got the advantage of a different mindset and thinking outside the box. And it worked for me.”This desire to be different was not only shaped by cricket. This was reinforced at home, where his parents often viewed his future through different lenses.While his mother was worried about his studies and the uncertainty that comes with playing sports professionally, his father, a chief ticket inspector in the Indian Railways, supported the dream of a cricket.“My mother is a teacher. She loved academics. And my father was into sports. So there was a lot of conflict between the two of them,” he explained.“Then my father used to say let him play now. Now let him focus on cricket. He will study, he will manage. This conflict continued.”
The game requirements are different now. Normal does not want to work. You need two or three variants as a bowler. So I became Chinese while developing my carrom ball
Shivang Kumar
The sacrifices made by his family continue to be central to Shivang’s story. Hours spent traveling to matches and training sessions often came with worries and anxieties at home.Of course, there was a cricket connection at home. Praveen Kumar, his father, played U-19 cricket for Bengal before taking up a job with the Indian Railways.The father ensured that his son would continue to play cricket even as an option for a job with the railways.It helped that he made his way in different competitions. He demonstrated explosive batting in the MPLT20 2025 for Bhopal Leopards which earned him a prize of Rs 13 lakh from Bundelkhand Bulls.
Shivang Kumar scored the fastest fifty in MPL during the recent match between Bundelkhand Bulls and Malwa Stallions. (Instagram)
Not only batting, bowling also worked its magic. He picked 10 wickets, including a fifer against Karnataka, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He took eight wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.His work with bat and ball led to Sunrisers Hyderabad paying him 30 lakh rupees up front IPL 2026 He took nine wickets in 13 matches, including 3/33 against Punjab Kings.“When I traveled, they would worry. And my mother knew how to ask for a lot. Now I hope I managed to justify their struggle. I managed to justify their sacrifices. I will continue to do more. That’s all I hope for,” said 24-year-old Shivang.If his parents disagreed on the path, his father and brother played major roles in shaping the cricketer he would eventually become.
Shivang Kumar (right) with his father Praveen. (Photo by special arrangement)
“First of all, I’d like to give a lot of credit to my brother. I wasn’t that interested in the beginning that I should do it or move on. But there was a demand for the game because a left-handed player wouldn’t often bowl against lefties. Because left-handed people tend to dominate. So I developed a checker ball for that situation. Then the carrom ball became a good asset for me. Then I continued development from there.“His father, meanwhile, saw the potential in combining high-quality batting with rare bowling skill.“My father still says you don’t live up to your own talent. That if you’re such a good batsman, you should be scoring runs. You’re a Chinese bowler, which is a rare community in this world of cricket. The combination you have at the moment. My father said 2-3 years ago that I have become a unique combination. That there is no one else in the world like you. I continued my father’s vision.”Inspiration also came from watching players who were able to influence games in multiple ways. One name stood out — Hardik Pandya.
SRH spinner Shivang Kumar during IPL 2026 (BCCI Photo)
“I also feel good because I also thought how can I be different. Because when I saw Hardik Pandya in his early days, he was very different. When he came to bat, he looked like a batsman. And when he was a bowler, he looked like a bowler. I wanted to do something similar for my team. I wanted to become a valuable asset to the team. So that was the only vision in my head. And I hope that in the next 5 years I will be able to justify my own talent.“His rise took him from domestic cricket to the IPL, where he shared dressing rooms with some of the biggest names in the game. The experience, he says, was grounding, not overwhelming.“This is a humbling experience for that. No one gets opportunities so quickly… people around me are good and keep telling me that I don’t have any attitude and just stick to my strengths and work. God gave you an opportunity, chose you and you should respect that. Be thankful to God that you are getting a good platform and people around you believe in you.”Back home, Shivang believes the MPL has played a significant role in creating opportunities for players across Madhya Pradesh, including himself.Making it clear that he is not a one-trick pony, he quickly scored a 17-ball 65 against Malwa Stallions earlier this month during the MPL. His seven fours and five sixes, after taking two wickets in the first innings, ensured Bundelkhand Bulls reached the target of 216 runs with 5 balls to spare.“I mean, I’d like to give a lot of credit to MPL as well. The way this new talent is coming out. I didn’t even know there was such good talent in MP. Until last year, I was also a talent. But when I come here from the IPL, I see how good the talent is. And the MPL, which I think is the highest national league. A lot of talent comes out of here.”As more players from the state find opportunities at the highest level, Shivang sees it as proof that the system is working.“And 10-12 players from MP have been in different IPL teams this time. So it’s a matter of great respect. 10-12 IPL players are coming out of MP. And they play. And they are also the main players in their teams. “So something good is happening with MPL.”For Shivanga, however, the journey is far from over. The batsman turned Chinese bowler did so because he believed that striking out was the only way forward. The challenge now is to ensure that uniqueness translates into sustainable success.
