New Delhi: Shivang Kumar’s journey in the IPL is not the usual story of a smooth rise through the ranks. The 23-year-old spinner from Moradabad made his debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this season, but what makes his story stand out is the mix of bold decisions, failures, and the surprisingly inspirational source MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.Picked up at the 2026 mini auction for Rs 30 lakh, Shivang’s success did not happen overnight.
He started at the Railway Colony in Harthala, where his father Parveen Kumar, Chief Ticket Inspector and former Bengal Ranji cricketer, took charge of his training. An unorthodox move changed everything: despite being right-handed, Shivang was made a left-arm wrist-spinner. He later called the bold switch his father’s “masterpiece.”
A hard pause and a turning point
Like many young cricketers, Shivang’s path was not without doubt. After failing to make the under-14 team, he took a break from cricket for five months, believing his journey was over. A break could have ended his career before it truly began.But a movie changed his mind. Watching MS Dhoni: The Untold Story made him reconsider quitting. Dhoni’s story of struggle and rise made a breakthrough, helping Shivang return to the game with renewed determination.Interestingly, his story is the story of a Pakistani spinner. Usman Tariqwho also inspired in the same film. Tariq said, “I came back to cricket after watching MS Dhoni’s film. After watching that film, I realized that our stories are similar. I came back to cricket only because of MS Dhoni.”
The performance that opened the doors.
Once back, Shewang let his performance do the talking. He impressed in domestic cricket, including a standout Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign where he took 10 wickets in just three matches. A five-wicket haul against Karnataka proved to be a defining moment, putting him firmly on the radar of IPL scouts.In T20 cricket as well, he showed promise with an excellent spell of 3/25 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. This performance eventually led to opportunities in the IPL, though not without disappointment. He attended trials for several franchises and even missed out on a few opportunities with Sunrisers Hyderabad due to scheduling issues.Still, SRH didn’t forget it. They returned to the auction and secured it at base price, finally giving him the break he had been waiting for.
