Although the pacers set the stage for Royal Challengers Bangalore to bowl out Punjab Kings for a mere 101, leg-spinner Suyash Sharma tightened the grip during the middle overs with his impressive 3-17. Suyash’s googly proved to be a potent weapon on the worn pitch at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, taking down Shashank Singh, Musheer Khan, and Marcus Stoinis in quick succession. This performance brought RCB closer to securing a spot in the title clash on June 3 in Ahmedabad. “We executed the plans given by the coaches. Today I felt very good with the ball. It seemed like the batters couldn’t read the googly. The talk was that this was a semifinal, but we approached it like any other game. I have worked hard on my bowling. The previous game we played here also helped,” Suyash mentioned during a mid-innings interview with the broadcasters. In last year’s mega auction, RCB acquired Suyash for INR 2.6 crore. This investment has proven worthwhile, with the New Delhi-based leg-spinner taking eight wickets in 13 matches at an average of 52.87 and an economy rate of 8.81. Before finding success with RCB, Suyash played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous two IPL seasons. He debuted in the IPL as a 19-year-old in 2023, claiming ten wickets in 11 games. However, he only appeared in two matches during KKR’s triumphant 2024 campaign without taking any wickets. In the 2025 edition, Suyash revealed on RCB’s social media accounts that he was dealing with multiple hernias before IPL 2025, and the franchise arranged for his surgery in London. He was initially expected to join the team after their first three or four games but ended up playing from the tournament opener against KKR at Eden Gardens on March 22. (with IANS Inputs)