CHENNAI: Before the start of the match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati on Monday, right arm pacer Deepak Punia, who has represented four teams in domestic cricket, received a call. It was Brijesh Sharma, Deepak's mentee and training partner. It was the biggest day of Brijesh's life as he was going to make his IPL debut for the Rajasthan franchise but the 27-year-old pacer from Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, was extremely nervous.
"'I am playing the match but I am nervous,'" were Brijesh's words, Deepak told this daily. In the domestic circuit for more than a decade and been part of Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad, albeit not officially, Deepak knew the feeling. "He told me there is a lot of crowd at the stadium. I just advised him not to look at them and instead try to focus on basics. After the match, where he bowled a successful spell of three overs claiming a wicket and giving away just 17 runs, he called me again and said 'you were right. The nervousness vanished after a few balls in the first over."
Journey from J&K to Delhi to Bengal
Interestingly, Brijesh never played a competitive match in any domestic tournaments and was picked up by the inaugural champions on the basis of his performance in the 2025 Bengal Pro T20 League. He claimed 11 wickets from seven matches and was joint-fifth on the wickets chart.
That performance in Bengal was what convinced Royals to sign him for Rs 30 lakh. They are a very data driven team and some of the data he produced made them big fans. When they called him for trials, he even managed to trouble some of this season's big signings (Tejasvi Dahiya and Kartik Sharma to name a few).
Like any aspiring cricketer, Brijesh, whose variations stood out in Guwahati, started with tennis ball cricket on the streets of Udhampur. With his father a push cart vendor, it was not easy for him to pursue the game. But Brijesh was determined and made his way into the J&K U19 and U23 teams. Seeking better avenues, he shifted to Delhi to train at the Unique Sports Club on being advised by Vivrant Sharma, J&K all-rounder. Deepak owns the club and it's here his association with Brijesh began more than three years ago.
"I was called as a replacement player at the Sunrisers Hyderabad but an official announcement was never made in this regard. There I met Vivrant and then we stayed in touch. He started training at my club. More than three years ago, Vivrant then told me about Brijesh and asked me to take him under my wings. He also informed about the modest background of Brijesh, who arrived a few days later. When he came here, he clearly told me that he would not be able to afford the fee. I told him not to worry about it. When I saw him bowling, I realised he has a quick arm rotation. He was also bowling inswingers. Being a fast bowler myself, I knew how to work on him. We started training together. We worked on his fitness. He didn't have basic equipment but we provided him with everything."
Brijesh played for the club in various competitions held in Delhi and added new variations to his bowling arsenal including the away going delivery. More importantly, all the fitness sessions he had with Deepak paid dividends as his bowling speed rose considerably from 125-130kmph to 140 kmph. "There is a lot of competition here in Delhi so I spoke to one of my contacts in West Bengal and requested him to allow Brijesh to play for his club. He was selected for Bengal T20 League last season and performed well catching the attention of scouts from Royals," informed Deepak.
It was the break Brijesh and 32--year-old Deepak were longing for. "I know how difficult it is to get a chance in the IPL. With him being picked by RR, the first hurdle was cleared. I told him not to get satisfied by playing in the IPL as the goal should be to play for the country. The progression should be gradual."
Brijesh's stint with RR has reinvigorated Deepak's hopes as well. "His inclusion has motivated me as well. I haven't given up yet and want to play in the IPL. Hopefully, now I can learn a few things from Brijesh that can pave the way for my reinduction into the league," signed off Deepak.
