Young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar script history against Afghanistan on Test debut; family flees stadium mid-match to avoid 'jinxing' his performance.

A regular Sunday afternoon at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur turned into a historic script for Indian cricket, even as the protagonist's family chose to watch it unfold from hundreds of kilometres away. Rajasthan's young left-arm spinner, Manav Suthar, enjoyed a dream Test debut against Afghanistan, picking up seven wickets in the match, including a phenomenal six-wicket haul in the first innings to power India to a commanding victory by an innings and 300 runs.

However, in a classic tale of Indian cricket folklore, his family, who had travelled all the way from Sri Ganganagar to witness his crowning moment, abruptly left the stadium on Day 2 and headed back home out of sheer nervousness and old-school superstition.

A Dream Debut 25 Years in the Making

Suthar, 23, became the first Indian bowler in 25 years to pick up a wicket in his very first over on Test debut, striking on his fourth delivery. The young spinner had the Afghanistan batting lineup completely tied in knots, returning with exceptional figures of 6 for 33 in 22 overs during the first innings. He followed it up with another scalp in the second essay to finish with a match haul of 7 wickets.

The feat triggered widespread celebration, but the stands where his father Jagdish Suthar, mother, and sister Mansi were seated during the cap presentation ceremony on Saturday morning stood empty on Sunday.

Parents Flee Stadium to Avoid 'Jinx'

Speaking to reporters after the match, an emotional but soft-spoken Jagdish Suthar, a retired Physical Education teacher, explained their sudden disappearance from the venue.

"Yes, me, my wife, and my daughter Mansi had come to Mullanpur to watch his debut. I cannot describe the feeling of seeing him receive his Test cap from Kuldeep Yadav," the senior Suthar said. "However, by Sunday, we were all so incredibly nervous and a bit superstitious about watching him live from the stands. We felt our presence might jinx it, so we decided to travel back home to Sri Ganganagar to watch the rest of the game on television."

Emotional Video Call After Stumps

The sacrifice, however eccentric, seemed to work. Following the conclusion of play on Day 2, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a heartwarming video on its social media handles showing Suthar placing a video call to his family.

The youngster was seen smiling as his visibly moved family members congratulated him through tears. In the video, his father is seen offering grounded advice, telling the debutant to keep his head down and continue working hard for the country.

Overcoming the 'No Scope' Narrative

Suthar’s journey to the Indian Test cap was far from smooth. Having joined a local cricket academy at the age of 12 under coaches Deepak and Vinod, his first breakthrough came in the Rajasthan Under-14 team.

In past interviews, Suthar recalled how neighbors and acquaintances in his hometown often advised him to abandon the sport and focus on his academics instead. "Success in cricket is not easy in India. Many told me there was no scope in cricket and that I was wasting time," Suthar had mentioned. His breakthrough 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season, where he scalped 39 wickets in just six matches, followed by another 18 wickets in three games in the ongoing 2025-26 domestic circuit, finally silenced the detractors and fast-tracked him into the India 'A' and national squads.

Transition from White to Red Ball

While Suthar was picked up by Gujarat Titans in the IPL for a base price of INR 20 lakh and played 4 matches in the recent 2026 season, his white-ball career has been relatively quiet with just two wickets. However, his red-ball credentials have never been in doubt.

The youngster revealed that he was in his hotel room when his sister Mansi called to give him the news of his national selection after spotting the squad announcement on television. Inspired by the legendary Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin, Suthar's natural variations are expected to play a crucial role as India looks to build its spin transit pool for the upcoming long format cycles.