Shikhar Mohan, another Ranchi boy who counts

(L) Shikhar Mohan with former Indian captain MS Dhoni in Ranchi; Mohan with Ishan Kishan after East Zone won the Duleep Trophy (Special Arrangement) NEW DELHI: Shikhar Mohan hails from Doranda, a well-known corner of Ranchi known for its educational institutions, PG accommodation and the much-loved litti chokha stall, whose popularity goes beyond the city limits.“That shop near the temple… is very famous now. (That stall near the temple is quite famous now),” Shikhar said, referring to Bhola Litti, a popular dish he considers one of the best places for litti chokha.The 21-year-old, who has lived all his life in Doranda, is arguably the hottest cricketing talent in India at the moment. Former Indian spinner and current Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) official Shahbaz Nadeem calls Shikhar Mohan an amazing talent. “Lambi race ka ghoda hai, alag hi talent hai (He is a long-term prospect with exceptional talent),” Nadeem told TimesofIndia.com.

The second season is always more important because the opposition knows more about you. Teams analyze your strengths and weaknesses, so you have to constantly improve.

Opener Shikhar Mohan Jharkhand

The opener really walked the talk. After an outstanding debut season in 2025-26 in which he amassed 613 runs at an average of 55.73, including two hundreds, he started the new season in flying fashion, smashing 143 in Jharkhand’s opening match against Kerala at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur. The southpaw also made some valuable contributions in the Duleep Trophy final for the East Zone, scoring 85 and 52 in both innings, followed by a solid 60 on the green top in Srinagar in the Irani Trophy, playing for Rest of India against defending Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir.“I want to perform the same as last season. The second season is always more important because the opponent knows more about you. Teams analyze your strengths and weaknesses so you have to keep improving,” Shikhar Mohan told this website on the eve of their match.

Srinagar, Oct 01 (ANI): Rest of India’s Shikhar Mohan in action during the Irani Cup match against Jammu and Kashmir at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar on Thursday. (NOT a photo)

“It is more important for the team to do well. We reached the final last year and I want us to go one step further. We won the white ball tournament (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy). Now our plan is to win the red ball tournament as well. I want to have another good season,” he said.Shikhar has already had a great start to the Ranji Trophy season and attributes it to the 25-day camp in Chennai.“Before the Duleep Trophy, we had a camp in Chennai for about 25 days. We trained in the heat of Chennai in the afternoon. We also played in the KSCA tournament. The preparation was spot on,” he said.

During the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai, Ishan bhai helped me understand which shots are suitable for these conditions. For example, he told me that there is no need to play broomstick in certain situations. He helped me understand what to play and what to avoid. This guidance made a big difference when I was building my shifts.

Shikhar Mohan on Ishan Kishan

Shikhar admits he was a bit nervous on the morning of the Duleep Trophy final. Despite training for three weeks in Chennai, it was the first time he had played on a red clay wicket. His state mate and East Zone captain Ishan Kishan helped him understand the conditions and guided him throughout the match. The duo put on 94 runs for the fourth wicket in the first innings and added 126 runs in the second.“I also spoke to Ishan bhaiyya a lot during the last season. He told me which shots I should play and which shots I should avoid,” he said.“In the East, we don’t get many red clay wickets. We usually play on black clay surfaces, so I didn’t have much experience batting on red clay. During the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai, Ishan bhai helped me understand which shots are suitable for those conditions. For example, he told me that there is no need to play a dotted shot in certain situations when I was playing and he helped me understand what is important for me. innings,” Shikhar added.

Chennai: East Zone captain Ishan Kishan, left, and his teammate Shikhar Mohan on Day 4 of the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy final cricket match between South Zone and East Zone in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar) (PTI09_09_2026_000191B)

Shikhar, who was selected for Jharkhand’s under-16 team when he was just 13, has been a prolific run-getter at all age-group levels. He enjoyed an outstanding season with the under-23 team in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy. In the 2023-24 season, he scored 623 runs, including two hundreds and three fifties. He continued his scoring streak the following season, scoring 887 runs, which helped him earn a call-up to the senior team.Despite his impressive run with the bat, there was a lack of big, headline-grabbing results. Shikhar realized that there were lapses in concentration halfway through his innings and got help from current Jharkhand coach Ratan Kumar and former Jharkhand veteran Ishank Jaggi.

I talk to myself before I face the ball. I remind myself to watch the ball and stay focused. That helped me a lot. Ishank Jaggi bhai helped me with that too, especially when he was with the under-19 team. I started to concentrate more and focus on one ball at a time. This approach really helped me.

Shikhar Mohan

“There are two coaches who have helped me a lot. One of them is Ratan Kumar, who is our head coach at the moment. I also talk to Ishank Jaggi bhai a lot. He has helped me both mentally and with the bat. He was my under-19 coach and helped me a lot during that phase. These two played a big role in my development,” he said.“In my first year of under-19 cricket, I scored around 550 runs, with most of my scores in the 70s and 80s. The following year I wanted to focus more and convert those starts into bigger scores.“Before I face the ball, I talk to myself. I remind myself to watch the ball and stay focused. That helped me a lot. Jaggi bhai also helped me with that, especially when he was in the under-19 team. I started focusing more and focusing on one ball at a time. That approach really helped me,” explained Shikhar.

Shikhar Mohan of Chennai: East Zone plays the knock on Day 4 of the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy final cricket match between South Zone and East Zone in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar) (PTI09_09_2026_000189A)

During the Ranji Trophy camp in Chennai, Shikhar worked intensively on his batting and particularly focused on playing close to the body, an aspect of his game that he worked tirelessly to improve.“Pre-season I did a lot of batting practice. I am concentrating on playing close to the body and working on my drives as those are the areas where I score most of my runs. I know my scoring areas so I have been working on them,” said the Jharkhand opener.“This season I have focused on playing close to my body. I imagine I am playing in the box and keeping my shots close to my body. That has helped me a lot. As you saw in the Irani Trophy, the wicket was green. I kept reminding myself to play close to my body and avoid playing shots outside it. I think that is very important for an opener. Even after 1 SG you have to play straight because you have to play for 12, SG-0. to be even more focused after this period First 40 balls I am concentrating on playing close to the body,” he said.Shikhar, who opens in all three formats, says his preparation for each format is different.“Preparing for red-ball and white-ball cricket is very different. You have to go back to your basics and make adjustments according to the format. In white-ball cricket, you have to be more active and play certain shots regularly.

I remember the match against Uttar Pradesh at the under-19 level. I was batting on 20 when the ball hit me in the chest. I left the field and came back after we lost two wickets. We were chasing a target of 400 on the last day and I scored an unbeaten 100. When the day ended we lost 40 runs. This shift remains very special to me.

Shikhar Mohan

“Meanwhile in red-ball cricket, you can’t play every shot the same way. You have to work on the shots that are effective in white-ball cricket and train them with specific drills. You have to prepare differently for each format and understand which shots are right for the situation,” he said.Shikhar Mohan played some excellent knocks in the Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy finals, but the one he scored against Uttar Pradesh in the Cooch Behar Trophy remains closest to his heart.“I remember a match against Uttar Pradesh at Under-19 level. I was batting on 20 when the ball hit me in the chest. I walked off the field and came back after we lost two wickets. We were chasing a target of 400 on the last day and I made an unbeaten 100. We were down by 40 runs when the day ended. That innings remained very special.

Young Jharkhand batsman Shikhar Mohan (IANS pic)

The youngster is already on the radar of several IPL franchises and has been on trial with five-time champions Mumbai Indians. “It went well,” he said.For now, Shikhar is focused on building on his impressive start and establishing himself as one of India’s most consistent domestic batsmen. But with runs flowing in and his ability to convert starts into big scores improving, the left-handed opener is starting to make his case. If he maintains this form, a future push to open up India’s Test slot may not be out of the realm of possibility.