Manav Suthar picked up a 6-wicket haul on his Test debut, rattling the Afghanistan batting unit in the one-off Test at Mullanpur.

The rich talent pool of Indian cricket has unearthed another gem in the form of Manav Suthar. Earning his debut cap for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur, Suthar stood tallest for India with the ball, claiming six wickets in his debut innings. Suthar had received India Test cap No. 319 from Kuldeep Yadav, and was greeted with hugs and congratulations from teammates and support staff as he stepped onto the field. What followed was a dream start to his career in whites for the Indian national team.

With India batting first, Suthar scored a brisk 28 off 41 balls, including two magnificent sixes. However, it was with the ball that he truly showed why the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee trusted him.

IPL Debut In 2024

Born in Rajasthan's Ganganagar, Suthar is a left-arm orthodox bowler who can also bat. In domestic cricket, he plays for his home state of Rajasthan, but he is also contracted by the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was bought for Rs 30 lakh by GT in the IPL 2025 mega auction.

He played a total of four games for GT in IPL 2026, picking up two wickets. His IPL debut, however, had come in the 2024 season, when he played a solitary match.

He first caught the selectors' eye during the 2022/23 Ranji Trophy season, when he finished the campaign with a whopping 39 wickets in just six matches. To date, he has taken over 120 first-class wickets.

The Rahul Dravid Advice

Long before Suthar was picked by the BCCI selection committee for the Afghanistan Test, the left-arm orthodox spinner had already caught the attention of one of India's finest cricketing servants, Rahul Dravid.

According to his coach, Dheeraj Sharma, Dravid was impressed by Suthar's all-round abilities but advised him to focus more on his bowling if he wanted a long and rewarding cricket career.