The youngster has been supremely consistent in T20 cricket since last season
Vipraj Nigam was Indian Premier League (IPL) bound as soon as the Uttar Pradesh T20 League 2024 wrapped in September last year.
The all-rounder was just four wickets behind Zeeshan Ansari with a haul of 20 wickets from 12 matches for Lucknow Falcons at an average of 13 and an economy of 7.4.
At the IPL 2025 auction, the wrist-spinning all-rounder was snapped up for INR 50 lakh by Delhi Capitals. Vipraj justified his price in the first match of the season itself against Lucknow Super Giants by forging a 55-run stand in 22 balls for the sixth wicket with Ashustosh Sharma and powered the team to a stunning win with a single wicket remaining.
Over the course of the season, Vipraj contributed a total of 11 wickets and scored 142 runs from 14 matches in the lower-middle order which helped DC finish fifth the points table and came close to seal a playoffs spot.
After the IPL 2025, the all-rounder is back in the UP T20 League for the Lucknow Falcons in the 2025 edition and continued where he left off last season.
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The 21-year old has scored 61 runs from seven innings and has 15 scalps to his name at an average of 17 and an economy of 8. On Saturday, the youngster claimed his season best against Gaur Gorakhpur Lions claiming 4-26 from four overs as Lucknow Falcons defended a target of 170 and won by a big margin of 60 runs.
Even though Lucknow have lost five of their eight matches so far in the league stage and are unlikely to make it to the playoffs, Vipraj has been consistent with his performances with the ball.
While his prospects for being retained for IPL 2026 by DC look bright, Vipraj could be a surprise selection call for India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad as he offers more than just wrist spin.
The selectors will also have the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) for a bigger sample size to see how the leggie can fit into the Indian set-up. India have the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel as the prime candidates but the first two of them play as pure bowlers while Abhishek is a part-time off-spinner.
The thought behind including someone like Vipraj is to have a different skill in the squad that can work in tandem with a finger spinner like Axar and also bat in the lower-middle order in tough situations.
Even though there are more experienced candidates than Vipraj at this point of time, T20 cricket has always relied on mystery and surprise in the rapidfire tournaments like the T20 World Cup. The likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi were sought-after spinners a couple of years ago, but India would be driving blindfolded by going for either of them in their current form.
If they are to integrate Vipraj into the playing XI and still keep his best hidden, Gautam Gambhir and the management have the blueprint of Varun before the triumphant Champions Trophy 2025 – hand him a debut match in a bilateral before the main tournament and hold him back until the match is played on his most suitable pitch.
