Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s leg-spinner, Suyash Sharma, has shed light on a major hurdle he faced just before the start of the IPL 2025 season. He underwent surgery in London for multiple hernias, which almost sidelined him at the season’s outset. Although advised to rest for the first few matches, Suyash remarkably featured in the season opener against the Kolkata Knight Riders on 22 March.
“We were practicing in February, and for two years, I had something going on for me,” Suyash revealed. “I played after taking injections. Within India, we weren’t even able to identify the problem that I was facing. [So] RCB sent me to London for surgery. I met James Pipe [RCB’s physio] there. He and his family treated me like their family.”
Reflecting on his adversity, he added, “I had a hernia in three different places. Honestly, I had little hope of playing the first match [this season]. I had had a big surgery, and was told that I would be playing only after three or four games. But Pipey and his family took great care of me. I am thankful that I came to this franchise; I became fully fit. Before that, I had been suffering from the pain for the last two years. I was used to playing in pain.”
RCB acquired Suyash for INR 2.6 crore during the mega auction for this year’s IPL. Before his move, he represented KKR for two seasons. He debuted in the IPL as a 19-year-old in 2023, taking ten wickets across 11 matches. However, by 2024, Suyash played only two games in what was a winning campaign for KKR, unable to secure any wickets over four overs, leading to his release.
Suyash first discovered his hernia when he wasn’t actively playing at a competitive level. “If you’re playing for India or a franchise, then you can still manage [to get help]. But I had this injury when I wasn’t even playing [for any team],” he explained. “At that time, I wasn’t aware of anything; I just went to a physio, who told me something entirely different – so that made it difficult. RCB showed a lot of faith in me, and invested so much in me.”
This season, despite bagging just four wickets with an average of 69.75 from nine appearances, Suyash remains a pivotal player for RCB. They are slated to face Chennai Super Kings next at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where they hope to solidify their path to the playoffs with their current tally of 14 points.
