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The year was 2016. Bengal were practising at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus Ground for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. They had summoned a few net bowlers, who had Ashok Dinda alongside them, bowling to the likes of Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha. Among them was a 16-year-old Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal.
“I saw all these big names of Bengal for the first time. And it inspired me to be a part of this team. My dream was to play under Manoj bhaiya’s captaincy,” he says in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.
A dream was born.
Suraj had just gotten into the Bengal Under-19 side after impressing one and all in his first ever trial at the Bengal Cricket Academy in Kalyani. It was only his second year in the circuit. He had taken around 25 wickets for Suburban Club the previous year.
Cut to 2024. Suraj Jaiswal had his longstanding dream fulfilled as he earned his senior Bengal cap on January 12. Under the captaincy of Manoj Tiwary, who was playing his farewell season. A 24-year-old Suraj became the lead bowler and finished the Ranji Trophy 2023/24 as the team’s highest wicket-taker with 31 scalps. He also scored valuable runs down the order, including his maiden fifty in professional cricket.
A star was born.
If seeing his heroes fired his ambition, sharing the dressing room with them invigorated his belief. But why are we discussing someone who has played only six first-class matches yet? Because all-rounders are a rare breed. And an all-rounder who bowls fast is like Rogerio Ceni, the legendary Brazilian who has the most goals for a goalkeeper in football history.
Born in West Bengal’s Birati, Suraj Jaiswal soon went back to his native Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh after his father quit the railways job. He was the youngest and the naughtiest among four brothers and one sister. The school principal was a frequent caller at the Jaiswal residence as Suraj would be caught bunking classes and playing cricket. Like all kids, he was a batter back then.
“My parents told me they would take me to cricket coaching if I came first in seventh standard. I worked harder every year but never topped. And this went on for a few years. It was during 10th that I announced I would not study at all if I didn’t join coaching. When I actually stopped going to school, they promised that I would get in if I only cleared the exams. I went for a short camp in Lucknow before my finals and that’s where the coach asked me to bowl. The rule there was you could either bat or bowl. And that’s how my bowling journey started,” Suraj remarked.
The tall and lanky Suraj returned to Kolkata in 2014 to try his hand at a career in cricket. He met his ‘godfather’ Sanjay Bagui at the Bharati Sangha Club in Dum Dum. While it didn’t take long for the seamer to exhibit his wares with the ball, Bagui sir pointed out a spark in him with the bat too. His life turned a corner which he himself didn’t see coming.
“He is everything for me; I don’t have words to describe him. Sir gave me a lot of confidence in batting, always saying, ‘Tu batting kar sakta hai.’ He asked me to always have a positive approach and play every ball to its merit. I started doing well in club matches which told me that I should play as an all-rounder and not as a mere tailender,” he recalled.
It was the start of a beautiful relationship. Despite having club accommodation, Suraj spends most of his time at Bagui sir’s house. Even now.
“I love watching videos of legendary fast bowlers. This has become a habit because sir used to make me watch them when I was starting out. My action has a jump out and I feared I would get injured. But he made me watch Imran Khan’s videos on his projector and asked me to make it my strength,” Suraj said.
But it was Dale Steyn who left an indelible mark on him.
“I love the spells Dale Steyn bowled in Test cricket. I used to look at him bowl in awe and tell myself that I wanted to be like him. I learnt a lot just watching him bowl – bowling his heart out and with that aggression. He is my all-time favourite, my role model,” he stated.
There was a frenetic moment during Bengal’s final league game versus Bihar. Suraj collected the ball in his follow-through, threw it at the batter’s ankle, and flattened him. He immediately walked up to him and apologised, but it got his adrenaline flowing. He registered another four-wicket haul to make it eight in the match.
“I am an easy person on the outside. But when I am on the field, my best comes out only when I am aggressive. I feel that a fast bowler needs to have that aggression. When I am relaxed, I am unable to perform to my full potential. So I try to fire myself up by talking within or taking on the opposition,” he asserted.
In his pomp, the South African great would square up the best batters in the world and hit the top of the off stump, and at will. Suraj’s dismissal of Chhattisgarh skipper Amandeep Khare was a close reflection, albeit at around 130 kph.
It's almost like he hangs in the air in his load-up and the ball comes down from a height. It facilitates movement through the air and allows him to hit the deck hard. But his stock ball is something else and he doesn’t like to divulge much about it.
“I bowl it probably only twice an over, so that batters don’t pick me. And it was Ballu sir [Balwinder Singh Sandhu] who had mentioned this when I was at NCA. He told me that cricket has evolved so much that I should judiciously use my best balls,” Suraj Jaiswal mentioned.
There you have the clues. Go on, get the guessing game going.
Life is fickle - learning it the hardest way
Having gone up the ranks, Suraj Jaiswal joined the prestigious Calcutta Customs Club in 2022 and had become a mainstay for Bengal Under-23 and Under-25. He was closing in on the final promotion. Until he wasn’t. After six long years, he was dropped from the side, and without any reason specified.
“I did well in club matches, so I couldn’t think of a reason why I was dropped and there was no one I could have even asked,” he said.
And just when he was figuring out his trail back up, he met with another fall, this time a steeper one. He woke up to the news that his father had passed away due to a cardiac arrest. There was the irreparable pain on one side, and the financial burden falling thud on his shoulders, on the other. He contemplated quitting the sport.
“2023 was a tough one for me. I was kind of depressed after being dropped from the team. My dad passed away and we were struggling financially. And I was actually looking at other options, some side business, to take care of the family. Mom has heart problems and even a regular checkup costs a lot of money these days. My brother’s business goes up and down. But then I spoke to my coach, who asked me to just focus on the process, work hard and leave the rest to almighty. Speaking to him calmed me down and the daily routine gradually started giving me satisfaction,” Suraj told Sportskeeda.
Before this, Suraj had never really felt the money crunch the rest of his family was facing. They made sure the younger one got whatever he needed to pursue his cricketing dream, even if it meant borrowing from others. Suraj now wanted to pay all the support and sacrifices back.
Some people thrive under pressure, and while shouldering responsibilities. When you don’t have a choice, you are bound to say yes to everything. With the Ranji Trophy on the horizon, Suraj Jaiswal wanted to leave everything out there, but without any expectation. He wanted to go “all-out”, a term he used at least 10 times during this interaction.
In the pre-season, he trained eight hours daily for two months straight. He shifted to the dormitory at Eden Gardens to use the fitness infrastructure available and also cut down on the commute.
“I would attend the Bengal camp in the morning for 3 hours and then practice for 4-5 hours at an indoor coaching near Lake Town. There I used to bat for 1-1.5 hours daily and face about 20 bowlers at once. This was my routine for two months and I didn’t take a single day off. I would leave my dormitory at six in the morning and get back not before six in the evening. I just wanted to work hard,” Suraj stated.
He became confident with the bat along with further garnishing his primary skills. Soon, he started winning Player of the Match against big teams on the Kolkata Maidan like Barisha and Bhowanipore.
All the hard yards finally paid dividends when he earned a maiden call-up to the senior Bengal side on December 29. But ask him about it and he’d say his sixth sense told him he had done something right.
“I kind of expected it because I had performed well in the lead-up to it. When I saw my name there, it felt like my 9-10 years of hard work finally paid off. I was extremely happy. I made the first call to my elder brother, then spoke to mom. Then I started receiving a lot of calls, which went on till midnight. But in addition to being happy, I also knew that this was an opportunity which I needed to make the most of,” he said with a straight face.
It was as if he was trying hard not to let the elation of even recalling that moment get to him. He comes across as somebody who constantly tells himself that life – be it happiness or sadness – is fickle. He has found solace in routine, or 'process' as most people like to term it. He has learned the hard way to stay in the present while also being prudent. He has understood the need to steadily chip away at the bigger picture.
“I have never gotten complacent because I don’t come from a well-to-do family. So whenever I tend to relax, even a little bit, I close my eyes and think of what my family had to go through. And automatically, I get some kind of energy and motivation in me. I don’t let these thoughts creep in. I am the youngest at home but I have maximum responsibility,” he reiterated, as if reminding himself.
In Kushinagar, his angel-like elder brother has a fruit business while his sister has recently gotten married. The two middle brothers are working in Bangalore, one in a bakery and the other in garments.
Suraj Jaiswal's performance in Ranji Trophy 2023/24:
He has his tail up whenever there’s a big name in front of him. He made headlines after ploughing a lonely furrow against Mumbai, taking six wickets from a whopping 32.3 overs. But get him to talk about it and he would highlight stuff beyond the scoreboard.
“I conceded about 30 extra runs because I was late at reading the pitch and executing the plan. I tried to bowl full and swing the ball, but the Mumbai batters have an aggressive mindset and I got hit for runs. The other teams were different and I was slow in adapting to Mumbai’s approach. But then I started bowling length and slowly got into the groove,” he reviewed.
Something he couldn’t stop talking about was his two dismissals with the bat in that game. He was out to the short ball on both occasions, which included an extraordinary catch from substitute Jay Bista at long leg in the first essay.
“I had to score runs in that match because their bowling wasn’t of the highest quality. I hooked one for a boundary but then I succumbed to a bouncer trap. That should’ve been a six but it was an unbelievable catch. I got out to a bouncer in both innings. And since then, I have practised ducking and not getting out to a short delivery. Had I left the bouncers, I would have probably added 100 more runs to my season tally,” he rued.
The western powerhouse hammered Bengal by an innings and four runs as Suraj managed only seven runs across two stints. And he is not one of those ‘we will focus on the next match’ guys. He is like the sincere student who goes back home and ponders the red marks.
“My target is to bowl maiden overs. And the more I bowl them, the more my chances of taking a wicket increase. I keep a count of every single delivery – which was a good delivery and which was a loose one. And once I identify a fault, I try to rectify it in the nets and not repeat it ever again. Because I can’t afford to commit the same mistake twice at this level. I lock myself up in a room and shout at myself. The idea is to shake myself up so that I keep in mind what I have done and not repeat it again,” he announced.
It’s an invaluable value system and the recipe for Suraj going from strength to strength. He hails his performance against Assam as the most memorable one. He stroked a half-century, scalped three wickets, and returned to record a maiden five-wicket haul.
“It is a very proud moment to take a fifer in first-class cricket. It felt like my hard work was bearing fruit. And I also struck a half-century, which was my first across all professional cricket. I had around 14 40-plus scores in age-group and club cricket but I never crossed that milestone. And when I did reach 50 versus Assam, it struck me that I can even get to a hundred if I continue working hard,” he noted.
That ‘14’ is enough to tell you how meticulous and studious he is.
"My target is to become the best all-rounder in the country" - Suraj Jaiswal
Bengal fell short of the knockouts. So did Suraj Jaiswal’s target of picking up 50 wickets in his debut season. And he is not one to rest on his laurels.
“My target is to develop my game as much as possible. My batting needs improvement; I need to work on the bouncer trap. And in bowling, I have to work on accuracy, strength, add five more kilometres to my speed. I want to perform even better next season. I had this target in mind that I have to take 50 wickets but, unfortunately, we couldn’t qualify. But it is what it is,” he continued in the hour-long chat with Sportskeeda.
“I am never satisfied with my performance, whether I take six wickets or three,” he added.
It has also got to do with the way he has been mentored by Sanjay Bagui, who told him that a fifer was in the offing even as he picked up three wickets – all IPL players – against UP on debut.
The unrelenting intensity is great. But it is also prone to burnout and extreme disappointments. He thus neutralises it with motivation from all quarters. He played a match each with Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep – both now India stars – and didn’t miss a chance to pick their brain.
“They have a remarkable clarity of thought. They don’t take the pitch and opposition into consideration, while just believing in their ability. In the Kerala match, Akash bhaiya told me, ‘Tum apna dum se ball daal aur dimaag se nikal paata wicket hai ki kya hai.’ Speaking to them gave me a lot of positivity and confidence,” he said.
Suraj doesn’t watch much cricket on TV. But he uses motivational movies to refuel his tank and stay in the fast lane.
“I learnt a lot from 12th Fail; it cleared a lot of doubts in my mind. Whatever negative thoughts I had, everything went away. My elder brother had asked me to go watch it in the theatre and alone. My eyes welled up at least 20 times. I’d recommend it to everyone who struggles in some way or the other,” he pressed.
Talent and skill set aside, fitness is paramount for a fast-bowling all-rounder. A “desi aadmi” by his own admission, Suraj has increased his protein intake and now eats boiled eggs, something he never quite liked. He rushed to the gym immediately after finishing this interview, a day after Bengal wrapped up their Ranji campaign.
An RCB and MI fan, Suraj Jaiswal aims to be India’s best all-rounder while taking his cues from Hardik Pandya.
“My target is to become the best all-rounder in the country. I love Hardik Pandya’s hitting power, mindset, ability to absorb pressure and close out tight matches. There’s nothing like a bowler contributing in a team’s win with the bat. There is only a handful of all-rounders in the country. And if I can further develop my skills, it will be beneficial for both me and Bengal,” Suraj exclaimed.
With the inaugural Bengal Premier League in the pipeline and limited-overs tournaments kicking off the next season, he will soon attract more white-ball attention and maybe even an IPL contract.
"Bowling with the red ball is an art. But I will now work on my white-ball game too. I've already got a few variations up my sleeve and I want to master bowling four balls out of six in the blockhole," Suraj stated.
The rewards and success from cricket can as much make as they can break a prodigy. The strongest of contenders fall prey to a weak head.
“I have only target and that is to work at an India level, because only then I will be able to thrive in the Ranji Trophy. Whatever big payment I receive, I deposit it in my brother’s bank account. In a way, it also helps reduce my spending,” he revealed.
Suraj Jaiswal, only just 24, has seen more downs than ups. He knows what not to do, better. After all, he is from Kushinagar, the same place where Gautam Buddha attained parinirvana. It is 250-odd kilometers from Suriyawan, the home of another Jaiswal, Yashasvi, who has also achieved freedom from suffering to now rule Indian cricket.
“If I couldn’t do anything for dad while he was around, I can still make mom proud who has raised us battling so many hardships,” he concluded.
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