Sushant Mishra Overcomes Setbacks, Shares Smiles and Earns a Dhoni Nod

Sushant Mishra’s journey to his IPL debut has been shaped as much by setbacks as by talent. The left-arm pacer, now with Rajasthan Royals, is known for his cheerful personality off the field, but his path to the top has been repeatedly interrupted by injuries, including multiple stress fractures, a quadriceps tear and a long rehabilitation process that kept him out of cricket for much of 2024.

A member of India’s 2020 Under-19 World Cup squad alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant had to wait years for his first IPL cap. His breakthrough came after a strong domestic season in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished as joint highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets at an average of 17.18 and played a major role in Jharkhand’s title win. That performance finally brought him into the spotlight and helped him earn an opportunity in the IPL.

Born in Ranchi, Sushant says MS Dhoni has always been a major inspiration. He also credits Jasprit Bumrah as a benchmark he would like to emulate, while Zaheer Khan and Mitchell Starc shaped his bowling style. In his youth, Sushant was an aggressive, emotion-driven fast bowler, but years of injury and rehab changed his approach. He now focuses more on planning, discipline and bowling with purpose rather than reacting in the heat of the moment.

His career has been marked by constant interruptions. After first joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a net bowler in 2020, he later got a replacement opportunity with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022 but did not play a match. Gujarat Titans then bought him for Rs 2.20 crore in 2024, but a back injury suffered on the eve of the season ruled him out. He later had to deal with another injury concern and chose surgery for mental clarity and long-term recovery.

Working back to fitness required technical adjustments as well. Sushant changed aspects of his bowling action to reduce strain on his back, while also learning to manage his workload more intelligently. Jharkhand’s clear role definition ahead of the 2025/26 season helped him regain confidence. He focused on death overs, improved his yorkers and slower balls, and benefited from a young, fearless team environment led by captain Ishan Kishan.

Sushant’s bowling remains wicket-focused, using cutters, wide yorkers and bouncers to attack batters in clusters. Off the field, he remains a lively extrovert who enjoys joking, socializing and playing Battlegrounds Mobile with friends. Despite the injuries and delays, his optimism has not faded. He says he wants to keep life and cricket simple, enjoy every moment and continue working toward his biggest dream: helping India win a World Cup one day.