New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) Having been called into Maharashtra’s squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026, fast-bowler Vivek Shelar calls the state selection a major stepping stone towards achieving his cricketing dreams.
The Bhiwandi native, Shelar, starred in Season 3 of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) with nine wickets, including two hat-tricks that made heads turn. Although his team, Tiigers of Kolkata, fell short on the final hurdle to Chennai Singams, Shelar’s achievements helped the 26-year-old earn a call into Maharashtra’s squad for the SMAT, which gets underway on Saturday.
Speaking to IANS, Shelar said the state selection is the completion of one dream, and he is hungry for more. “As a sportsman, it is a very big achievement for me,” Shelar told IANS. “Because playing for a state is everyone’s dream. So now my dream is being fulfilled. I mean, there are still a lot of dreams left. So I am feeling good,” he added.
He clocked a 145.2kph delivery in the ISPL, which brought him into the limelight. He opened up on how the league played a role in bringing him into the spotlight. “ISPL was very important. Because of ISPL, I came into focus. When I bowled the fastest ball in ISPL, I came into the limelight. So ISPL was very important for me,” he said.
The ISPL is a tennis ball tournament, while Indian domestic cricket and international cricket are a different ball game altogether, with a proper season ball being used.
Shelar stated that the major difference he saw in the transition from the tennis ball to the red ball was mostly mental, before detailing how he started preparing for both balls.
“Both have different preparations, but the mentality matters. Both games are different, but mentality is what matters. So I practise with both tennis and leather ball. So I have that mentality now. So it’s a little easier for me. I had a problem in the beginning (with leather ball) when I started in 2020-21 with the leather ball. I had a problem in the first year, but now it has become a habit. So I don’t have any problems now.”
His cricketing journey began in 2016 with the ISPL from his village before he earned a selection for Tiigers of Kolkata in the ISPL, which he believed changed things for him.
“I started playing cricket in 2016. I started from the village itself, with the tennis ball. I used to play well with the tennis ball. When I played for the first time in the ISPL last season, I was in Tiigers of Kolkata. So everything changed there.
“I got everything there. I bowled well. In the first match, I bowled the fastest ball. From there, I started getting messages. Everyone was sending me messages,” he added.
Shelar also opened up about a challenging period when he was down with a hamstring injury right after the second match of the tournament. Shelar, who is supported by Aspect Sports, credited Aksha Kamboj, the Chairperson of Aspect Global and owner of Tiigers of Kolkata, for helping him during this time.
“Aksha ma’am supported me. When I got injured, I went to the hospital on the second day. (It was) From Surat to Mumbai. I recovered within eight days. Then I went back and took two hat-tricks in the ISPL after that injury. I credit her and Tiigers of Kolkata; because of them, I got to play the tournament again.
“I had some doubt (mentally after hamstring) while playing the first match after returning from injury. But for the team, you have to keep your thoughts aside. You have to keep the team first. It happened automatically,” Shelar added.
His immediate focus lies in performing for Maharashtra and then has an eye on an IPL contract. “I will focus on this tournament first. After this, I have an IPL goal. Let’s see what happens next,” he added.
Shelar also called India icon Rohit Sharma and South Africa great Dale Steyn his idols, before revealing what he likes most about the former Proteas speedster. “Rohit Sharma and Dale Steyn are my idols. (I like Steyn’s) Aggression, speed, swing and everything. He has everything,” Shelar added.
–IANS
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