Coach Devendra Sharma typically refrains from starting his mornings with WhatsApp messages, but on Tuesday, he made an exception.
“Today marks the most significant innings of your career thus far. Play long,” he texted his pupil, Sanat Sangwan.
Sharma’s message carried substantial weight given the context. A year prior, his most notable student, Rishabh Pant, had visited the Sonnet Cricket Club in Delhi and inquired, as he often does, about emerging talents. The coach directed Pant’s attention to a left-handed batsman who was practicing at the time.
“That’s Sanat Sangwan,” he remarked. “Remember this name; he will represent India one day.”
Sanat has consistently lived up to his coach’s expectations. During the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, he ranked third in batting with a total of 828 runs. However, the significance of Tuesday’s match was unparalleled. In the Duleep Trophy semi-final, South Zone held a 117-run lead after the first innings. The outcome seemed almost predetermined, but Sanat’s score of 76 ensured the game extended to a fourth day.
A vital partnership formed between Sanat Sangwan and Ayush Doseja, who together amassed a 104-run partnership.
North Zone was in dire need of a standout performance, and Sanat, adorned with a tattoo on his left arm reading ‘Still I rise’—a phrase inspired by a Formula 1 driver he admires—was ready to deliver.
“I am a huge fan of Lewis Hamilton,” Sanat shared with The Indian Express prior to the Duleep Trophy. “I’ve followed him since he joined Mercedes. I don’t know him personally, but his interviews reflect a calm yet focused demeanor. He often discusses the role of meditation in enhancing patience, something I strive to emulate.”
Sanat incorporates daily meditation into his routine, attributing it with dual benefits: cultivating patience for lengthy innings and maintaining self-control in high-pressure situations.
His ability to control his impulses was evident during the match at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he scored just 21 runs off his first 49 balls, waiting until his 50th delivery to strike aggressively.
“I have a few self-imposed guidelines; I avoid playing cover drives in the opening hour and leave deliveries outside off-stump. After a few overs, bowlers often become frustrated and start to experiment, which creates opportunities,” he explained. His strategy paid off, as he scored 35 runs off his next 50 balls.
Sharma was not taken aback by Sanat’s approach. “He has always had a calm demeanor. When his father first brought him to our academy, two things were clear: his elegance and his strong work ethic. He scored seven or eight centuries in ten matches during a tournament, and I knew he was in it for the long haul,” Sharma recounted.
The allure of the longer format has captivated the 25-year-old since his youth. “Red-ball cricket has always been my favorite. I enjoyed watching Test matches as a child. This format is the most challenging as it tests both skill and patience. As an opener, there are numerous hurdles to navigate with both new and old balls,” he noted.
However, his passion for this style of play has not been without its challenges, including ridicule and typecasting.
“It was tough for him in Delhi initially, given that we mainly play 40-over games where quick scoring is expected. Sanat would take his time, leading to jeers from the crowd when he faced maiden overs. We had to move him to Jaipur, where the focus is on longer formats and the pressure is less intense. That transition worked wonders,” Sharma shared.
Sanat has long harbored two dreams: earning a Test cap for India and having a conversation with Hamilton. A third dream, once considered distant, has already been realized.
“Virat Kohli has been my idol for as long as I can remember. I admired how he would often rescue India from tough situations. Meeting him was a dream,” Sanat reminisced. In February 2025, he had the opportunity to bat alongside Kohli in a Ranji Trophy match, which remains Kohli’s last appearance in the red-ball format.
“When I first interacted with him, I anticipated an ultra-aggressive persona. Instead, I found him to be quite humble and approachable. He even lent me his bat, which I greatly appreciated,” Sanat recalled.
Alongside the bat, Sanat also took inspiration from Kohli’s work ethic, noting, “Even for a Ranji Trophy game, his commitment was astounding.” Kohli had previously scored a half-century for North Zone in the 2010 Duleep Trophy, and despite his team’s loss, he made his Test debut a year later.
Even if North Zone does not advance in the current Duleep Trophy semi-final, Sanat Sangwan’s 76 runs on Tuesday may be remembered not just as an innings, but as the start of something greater.
Shuvaditya Bose serves as a Deputy Copy Editor at the sports desk of The Indian Express.
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