CHENNAI: Bengaluru will always hold a special place in Tirumalasetti Suman's heart. It was at the Garden City where the former cricketer from Hyderabad had played one of the innings of his life in 2010 before going on to capture the Indian Premier League title six years later. Considered a prodigy during his junior days, Suman, like many other youngsters, gained recognition during this time at the IPL, where he was part of as many as four clubs. His trophy cabinet boasts two IPL titles and a Champions Trophy but he was not quite able to realise his potential on the personal front. However, his love for the sport remains undiminished as he is now a commentator for Star Sports Telugu.
Having started as an opening batter for Hyderabad, Suman's talent was undeniable. Known for his "aggression and flair", he made a rapid rise during his junior days. He started playing age-group cricket when he was 13 and went on to captain the U16 team too. Suman gradually rose through the ranks before he was enlisted into the Ranji Trophy probables in 2001 and, in the same year, he gained wide attention with good scores against England U-19s in Chennai.
But it was the advent of the IPL that gave Suman the recognition.
In 2008, the now-defunct Deccan Chargers finished rock bottom in the league table. Considering the team boasted superstars, they were dubbed to win the league but the turmoil on and off the pitch meant that a revamp was needed in 2009. So much so that even the bright red and black logo was not spared.
In the second season of the IPL in 2009, Chargers hired former Australian cricketer Darren Lehmann as coach. Aussie wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was the new captain. Suman, meanwhile, was one of the few uncapped recruits along with Manvinder Bisla and Harmeet Singh Bansal. "Before I went to South Africa. I had trained myself like anything to get used to the conditions there. So when I eventually went there. I made a good impression with Gilchrist and Lehmann. In the fitness test, I came first. I played really well in the practice matches but was not picked for the first few matches," Suman recalled to this daily. But that was to change. On the night before Deccan Chargers’ fourth league match against Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Adam Gilchrist had to wake Suman up. "He woke me up at 11 in the night and said, 'I know I am spoiling your sleep (but) you are playing tomorrow's match'," he said.
His moment had arrived finally, and it was a huge opportunity for him to announce himself to the world. A local reporter had mispronounced his name and this was his chance to come to the fore.
Suman did just that as he marked his debut with a 14-ball 23 in their six-wicket loss to Delhi in Centurion. Then, he scored an unbeaten 41 runs against Rajasthan Royals, which featured two blistering sixes off Shane Warne. Then, he cemented his position in the playing XI. He was not spectacular, but provided vital runs when needed, something that helped the team clinch the title. Open the innings? Check. Come in the middle-overs during a tough phase? Check. In 12 appearances, including the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Suman scored 237 runs.
Suman kept up his form in the following season, scoring a tally of 307 runs. An unbeaten 78 in a high-pressure chase against RCB in Bengaluru and a 55-run knock against Chennai Super Kings in Nagpur were the only two half-centuries that he would ever score. Those knocks were key, as he did not have a good start to the season, and was often criticised for his "aggressive style".
The next year, Suman was approached by Mumbai Indians to open with Sachin Tendulkar. "Mumbai approached me in 2011. They wanted me to open with Sachin. But I felt that I didn't get enough opportunities. Even though I started off really good, I was dropped down the order. So I felt that the number of opportunities hampered my performance," he said. His aggressive intent would lead to his downfall. "I should have capitalised on them. Sometimes in T20s, when you are trying to play really aggressively, you tend to lose your wicket," he said.
Those limited opportunities (10 matches in two seasons) had forced him to switch to Pune Warriors in 2013. But that proved to be disastrous too, which meant he could not find a suitor the following two years. But he once again found his rhythm during the 2014-15 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he had a tournament best score of 361 with a strike rate of 143, averaging 40.
That earned him a contract in Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, again as an opening batter. "So Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner were already there. So he didn't perform the first four matches. They (team management) told me if Shikhar doesn't perform one more match, 'you will be there'. So Shikhar got runs and throughout the season he played,” he said.
As SRH won the title in Bengaluru, Suman became the first player to win two IPL titles for different teams based out of the same city. In all the setbacks he has faced, one lesson he learnt is to be a better performer. "If someone would have told you that it didn't matter, they would be wrong. I think I always felt that when someone takes your place, the obvious feeling is you will feel sad, and obviously you will be down. Those are the moments I always remind myself that the only way you can come out of this is you becoming a better person. You challenge yourself and perform better. So shifting the focus from worrying to solution was my go-to thing at that moment," he explained.
Time as broadcaster
After the IPL title in 2016, Suman, as per record, did not make any competitive appearances, and quietly retired in 2018. A job as a Deputy Bank Manager at the State Bank of India in Hyderabad, Suman felt something was missing in his life. "There was a time where I thought, what do I do next? Even though I used to work at SBI. I felt I had a lot of time in hand," he said. That was when a call from broadcaster Star Sports came. "They were calling me for two years, but I didn't go. But (this time) I thought, let's try Telugu commentary. Then I really fell in love with that," he said. Soon enough he gave up the banking job and got into full-time commentary.
Then on the suggestions from colleagues in Star Sports, he started a YouTube channel, which at present has 1,61,000 subscribers (at the time of writing).
While he may have not realised his full potential with the bat, Suman, with his voice and his passion for the game is definitely capturing people's imaginations. "Commentary is something which I really enjoy every minute — calling the game and trying to speak to the Telugu community. For them also, right now everyone is so connected. When so many people are watching and you are calling the game, you are educating them and sharing those dressing room stories, and other experiences as a cricketer," he said.