He has taken 10 wickets in six matches so far in MP T20 League 2025.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Shivam Shukla shared how a local tournament helped him rise from division cricket to the grand stage of the IPL.
Shivam Shukla is currently playing in the Madhya Pradesh (MP) T20 League 2025 for the Rewa Jaguars. He has taken 10 wickets in six matches so far.
Last season, he was the top wicket-taker in the tournament with 10 wickets in just four games. That strong performance helped him earn a place in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25, where he played domestic cricket for Madhya Pradesh for the first time. He picked up eight wickets in eight matches and kept his economy rate at just 6.30.
In IPL 2025, Shivam joined Sunrisers Hyderabad as a net bowler, where he improved his skills under the guidance of Muttiah Muralitharan. Later, Kolkata Knight Riders signed him as a replacement for Rovman Powell, who missed the second half of the season due to injury. Shivam was part of the squad for the final two matches, but didn’t get to play. Still, he learned a lot from the experience.
Shivam Sharma, speaking exclusively to Jai Sharma of CricXtasy, shared how the Madhya Pradesh Premier League (MPL) completely transformed his cricketing journey.
He said MPL proved to be a major turning point in his career. Before that, he had only played in local division-level cricket. After performing well there, he got the opportunity to play in MPL. His strong showing in the tournament helped him get selected directly for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – a big step up for someone who was relatively unknown at the time. He added that the kind of support and visibility he received from MPL has been unmatched so far, and he believes many more players will benefit from it in the coming years.
“MPL was a very big turning point for me because last year I played in the division for the first time, I performed there, then MPL happened. I performed in MPL, and after MPL, I directly got to play Mushtaq Ali because nobody knew me. So the support I received from MPL, perhaps no one else has received it yet, but they will in the future,” Shivam said.
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Shivam further explained that MPL gives young cricketers a real platform to showcase their talent at a higher level. He mentioned that he had the chance to bowl as a net bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and the franchise was also considering picking him, but it did not work out. However, shortly after that, he received a call from Abhishek Nayar from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who informed him that KKR was signing him as a replacement for Rovman Powell. That moment felt special for Shivam, who said it gave him invaluable experience.
He also spoke about the opportunity to work closely with Sunil Narine, whom he considers his idol, and with Varun Chakravarthy, whom he called India’s mystery spinner. Being around such players, according to Shivam, helped him gain exposure and learn a lot about the game.
“Because moving forward, MPL directly showcases you on the international stage. You can show your talent. So I was with SRH as a net bowler. They were also going to pick me, but unfortunately, they didn’t. And then I got a call from Abhishek Nayar sir from KKR. He said they were picking me. So I felt good. I got a great experience. Sunil Narine is my idol. And I was with him, and Varun Chakravarthy is India’s mystery spinner. So I had a good experience,” he added.
Because he came in as a temporary replacement, KKR won’t be able to retain him for the next season, as per BCCI rules. Players who join mid-season as replacements must go back into the auction pool.
However, Shivam could attract attention at the IPL 2026 auction. Teams might show interest in him, especially because mystery spinners are in demand in T20 cricket. Shivam has shown that he can trouble batters with his unique bowling style.
This year, many homegrown talents from local T20 leagues have stood out—like Digvesh Rathi and Vipraj Nigam. The trend of backing Indian spinners continues, and next season, Shivam Shukla could be the next big name to watch.
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