Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur saw the ball fly further than usual when Shikhar Mohan unleashed a 143-run masterclass against Kerala. It’s a strong start to the season for the 21-year-old, who is arguably the most talked-about young batter in Indian cricket right now. After amassing 613 runs at a strike rate that drew plenty of eyes last year, the Doranda native is proving the hype wasn’t just noise. He’s already banked 85 and 52 in the Duleep Trophy final for East Zone, plus a gritty 60 on a green top in Srinagar for Rest of India.
The turning point for the season, however, happened in Chennai. During the Duleep Trophy final, Ishan Kishan pulled Shikhar aside. They needed to adapt to red soil—a surface rare in Jharkhand’s black-soil-heavy circuit. Kishan told him to stop forcing the sweep shot in certain conditions. That simple adjustment let Shikhar build his innings with confidence, putting on 94 and 126 runs with Kishan at the fourth wicket. It’s the kind of mentorship that separates good players from great ones.
Shikhar knows the second season is always harder. Opponents have a file on you now. "Teams analyse your strengths and weaknesses," he said. "So you have to keep improving." He’s already working on that, having fixed mid-innings concentration lapses with help from coach Ratan Kumar and veteran Ishank Jaggi. The focus is strictly on one ball at a time.
Jharkhand has already lifted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The target now is clear: win the Ranji Trophy. With a 25-day prep camp in Chennai’s heat behind him and a form guide that’s glowing, Shikhar Mohan is ready to take the red-ball crown.