Shreyas Gopal is an Indian first-class cricketer known primarily as a right-arm leg-break bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman. He represents Karnataka in domestic cricket and has played in the Indian Premier League (IPL), most notably for Rajasthan Royals.
| Full name | Shreyas Gopal |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 August 1993, Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm leg-break (googly) |
| Domestic team | Karnataka |
| IPL teams | Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals |
| Role | Bowling all-rounder |
Background
Born in Bengaluru, Shreyas Gopal came through the Karnataka State Cricket Association's age-group system. He progressed through the under-19 ranks and was part of the India under-19 squad before establishing himself in the senior Karnataka side.
Domestic career
Shreyas Gopal made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and has since been a regular member of the side across formats. He has been part of Karnataka teams that won the Ranji Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy during a successful phase for the state in domestic cricket.
He is regarded as a wicket-taking option in the middle overs in white-ball cricket and a useful spin all-rounder on turning surfaces in the longer format. He has also captained Karnataka in domestic limited-overs competitions.
Indian Premier League
Shreyas Gopal began his IPL career with Mumbai Indians, with whom he was part of title-winning squads, before moving to Rajasthan Royals. At Rajasthan, he became a frontline spinner in the playing eleven.
Hat-trick in IPL 2019
One of the highlights of his career came in the 2019 IPL season, when he took a hat-trick for Rajasthan Royals against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru, dismissing top-order batsmen including Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. The performance drew wide attention to his control of the leg-break and googly in T20 cricket.
Style of play
Shreyas Gopal relies on flight, dip and a well-disguised googly rather than sharp turn. He bowls with a relatively quick arm action, which has made him effective in the powerplay and middle overs of T20 matches. As a batsman, he is capable of contributing useful runs from the lower middle order.
Significance
Shreyas Gopal is among a generation of Karnataka cricketers who sustained the state's strong showing on the domestic circuit during the 2010s. His IPL performances, particularly the 2019 hat-trick, made him one of the more recognised wrist-spinners in Indian domestic cricket during that period.