Sharad Lumba is a 28-year-old all-rounder who has worked his way up from the age-group levels in Punjab. He played for the state’s senior team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season, and is primarily known for his big hitting down the order.

In an interview, Lumba explains how he goes about his business in Twenty20 cricket. “Given that the Vivo IPL is a Twenty20 tournament, my mindset is simple. I always look for runs. I am a middle-order batsman and, more often than not, I am faced with a situation where the required run-rate is 10, 11 or more. So, I have to believe in myself. I assess things on the first two balls. Then, I start looking for runs. I look for the gaps. And I trust my instincts and go for my shots. I have worked very hard on my skills. We do so many different drills in the nets. Also, when I step out to bat, the equation usually reads 50 off five overs or 60 off six overs. So, there’s very little time to settle in. The only option is to look for quick runs and big runs,” he says.

Lumba has played for Punjab at the Under-17 and Under-19 levels. Then, he suffered a back injury and lost four years. But he worked hard, fought back and got picked in the Punjab senior team. And, now, he is all set to play for Mumbai Indians. Expectedly, he is chuffed. “It feels very good. Look, life is all about ups and downs. I have had more downs than ups. But I never gave up. I never felt weak. I kept on working hard. And I have been rewarded now,” he says.

Lumba says he has always been an aggressive batsman. “Actually, I believe that one has to score runs instead of just facing ball after ball. I have worked on improving my success rate as a batsman. I do so by ensuring that eight of the 10 deliveries I face fetch me runs. The more your success rate, the more you end up scoring. Again, it’s not easy. I have spent years working on this. For example, I make it a point to play 500 cuts, 500 pulls and 500 lifts in every training session. That’s how you get into T20 mode. It’s not enough to have shots in your armoury. It’s imperative that you perfect those shots. They need to come off in a match situation. You have to try and succeed more than you fail. And, trust me, if you haven’t worked hard in the nets, then things don’t go according to plan out there in the middle. If you have put in the hard yards in practice, then you feel confident of pulling things off during the game, that’s how things work for me. I feel confident because I know I have worked hard at training. I am looking forward to playing at the Wankhede. I know the pitch here offers bounce, so I will work hard on the cut shot, the pull shot and hitting straight,” he explains.

Earlier this season, he shared the Punjab dressing room with legends Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh. And he can’t stop praising the senior pros. “The best thing about Bhajji paaji and Yuvi paaji is that they are always approachable. You can ask them whatever you want, and they make it a point to help you out. The other amazing thing about them is that they are still hungry for success. They have achieved so much already, but that childish exuberance (jazba) is unmistakable. Watching them give their best encourages youngsters like me to give a little extra. Also, their will to win is infectious. It’s simply inspiring. In fact, all of us in the Punjab team wanted to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Bhajji paaji and Yuvi paaji. We couldn’t do it this year. But like Team India won the World Cup and dedicated it to Sachin Tendulkar Sir in 2011, we, too want to win a cup for them. Hopefully, we can do it next year,” he says.

Lumba also bowls off-spin. “I have been bowling off-spin for very long time. But I did stop bowling because of my back injury. I trust my off-spin. I can read the batsman’s mind. I am a batsman, too, and when I bowl, it helps me preempt a batsman’s move,” he says.

MI have clearly unearthed a special talent high on self-belief. Let’s hope he does justice to his immense potential and gives us games.