NEW DELHI: “Arey nahi nahi!” Sanat Sangwan bursts into laughter when asked if his father was a fan of Sri Lankan batting legend Sanath Jayasuriya and whether that inspired his name.The 25-year-old southpaw has been Delhi’s most consistent batter in the last two domestic seasons. Sangwan managed only 385 runs in his debut Ranji Trophy season in 2024-25, but his stay at the crease gave Delhi’s fragile batting line-up some assurance. The only problem was that he was not able to convert his starts. He turned that around in the 2025-26 season, amassing 828 runs at an average of 69, including three hundreds.Sangwan explained the hard work behind those runs, which has earned him a spot in the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy, starting from Sunday (August 23) at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.“You have to put a lot of effort into preparing for red-ball cricket during the off-season. Conditions are different, and as an opener, it is always difficult while facing the new ball. And sometimes you might have to walk out to bat in the afternoon or sometimes even when the lights are not good. So keeping all things in mind, I prepare more for red-ball cricket during the off-season,” Sangwan said in a select media interaction organised by Delhi Premier League’s (DPL) franchise South Delhi Superstarz.
Puducherry’s wicket-keeper Siddhant Addhatrao and Delhi’s Sanat Sangwan at the end of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Delhi and Puducherry, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi. Match ended in a draw. (PTI Photo)
“I prefer to go to the nets at around 8 am when there is a little moisture on the wicket. I try to replicate the conditions that I get in matches. I practise a little earlier because the more I practise in difficult conditions, the easier it becomes to adapt. I ask the net bowlers to start with a new ball. Then, after an hour, I give them another new ball. I try to face more new balls in the nets so that the situation doesn’t feel easy for me in a match,” he explains his preparation.While talking about his preparation for red-ball cricket, Sangwan goes into the details of his training and love for the format, and also explains why it gives him so much joy.
I have worked a lot on my cricket since I was 19. Red-ball cricket is my favourite format.
Sanat Sangwan | Delhi Cricketer
“I love this format. From the start, you see the opener go out to bat with the new ball. Then the conditions get better, and then the second new ball comes again. There is a lot in this format. It is a difficult format. It tests your skill, patience and fitness. The result is not in your hands. You can come back at any time. If you take two or three wickets quickly, or have a good partnership with the bat, you can change the game. I have worked a lot on my cricket since I was 19. Red-ball cricket is my favourite format,” he says.
Not elegant but focused
Sangwan isn’t soothing to the eyes like other southpaws. His cover drives are not as elegant as any other left-handed batters, but he knows how to put a price on his wicket, has a great temperament and his batting mantra is pretty simple: “Tire the bowlers in the first hour.”
Delhi’s Sanat Sangwan plays a shot on the second day of a Ranji trophy cricket match between Delhi and Railways, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)
“In red-ball cricket, I try to select my shots according to what I have prepared. I don’t play the cover drive early in my innings. I try to avoid cutting the ball as much as I can. I don’t play away from my body. The more you play away from your body early on, the chances of getting out increase. If you stay closer to the ball, then the chances of getting out are lower. The bowler also gets frustrated. It is a game of patience. If you take five or seven overs, the bowler also tries to bowl a little fuller. Then a big over can come and scoring runs becomes easy. So I try the bowlers in the first hour and then pounce on it once I am set,” he shares.“I have a very strong base, so I have done a lot of work on that. I improvise a little in white-ball cricket, but I avoid doing that in red-ball cricket. I have gained so much control through practice. I practise every day. I practise red-ball cricket day to day, so I have gained enough control to try to control myself for the first two hours. I also work on meditation so that I can focus and get mentally better,” he adds.
When I am in the 90s, I have this rush to get to 100 quickly. So I have made sure that I don’t lose control. I will play the same way in the 90s as I played to get there. Now I have decided. I don’t want to see the scoreboard.
Sanat Sangwan
Sangwan also points out the areas he has worked on since last season.“There was only one innings last season when I got out on 99. If you look at any of my centuries, I complete them with boundaries. In the 90s, I have this rush to get to 100 quickly. So I have made sure that I don’t lose control. I will play the same way in the 90s as I played to get there. If I can control that a little, that is a learning from the last season. Now I have decided. I don’t want to see the scoreboard,” he says.The other aspect that he has worked on is his breathing. “I keep meditating because it works across all three formats. In T20 cricket, you have to control your breathing. The more you control it, the calmer you will be. There are a lot of situations where there is pressure. The calmer you are, the better you will be able to handle the situation. It plays a big role mentally.”
Delhi’s Sanat Sangwan plays a shot on day one of a Ranji Trophy cricket match between Delhi and Puducherry, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)
Kohli and Hamilton effect
Virat Kohli and Lewis Hamilton have had a big influence on Sangwan’s life. He has a tattoo on his left hand that reads “Still I Rise”, inspired by the British F1 driver Hamilton. And then, in his debut season, he was gifted a bat by Virat Kohli, who came to play a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi.Unlike his idols, Sangwan is not as flamboyant. He goes about his business without any fuss and has a very calm demeanour compared to the intensity of his role models. “I don’t know, sir. I don’t express it much. But from inside, I have to make the team win. It will come with time,” he laughs cheekily.“I have followed Lewis Hamilton since he was with Mercedes. I have admired him from the start. His mindset, from what I have seen in interviews, is very focused. He is very patient, and he does things like meditation,” he adds.Sangwan’s eyes light up while talking about Kohli and he jogs down memory lane to explain one of the best weeks of his cricketing career, when he got to share the dressing room with his idol.“I idealise him from the start. How he had helped India win Test matches. His aggression on the ground. I had a different picture of Virat Kohli in my mind and when I met him, when he came for the Ranji Trophy, he was completely different. On the field, you can sense the intensity but off the ground, he was so chill, humble. But after watching his work ethics, we were very stunned,” says Sangwan.
Next challenge
For Sanat Sangwan, who has been playing in the DPL for the past couple of weeks and scored a scintillating century as well, the next challenge is to carry forward his red-hot form into the Duleep Trophy. He also has his eyes on a 1,000-run season this time around.“I believe you need to have a different mindset to succeed in all three formats. Skill-wise, if your base is strong, then you can comfortably switch your game as per the formats. I am playing DPL now but I also had in mind that if I get a name in Duleep Trophy, then I will have to do red-ball preparation as well. So I have been doing that side by side,” he says.For now, Sangwan’s focus is simple. He wants to take the lessons from his breakthrough Ranji Trophy season into the Duleep Trophy, continue trusting his method and let the runs do the talking. With a clear understanding of his game and a growing appetite for red-ball cricket, the opener sees the tournament as another opportunity to prove that last season was not a one-off, but the beginning of something bigger.
