The 28 year old left arm spinner and attacking lower order batsman has been a regular performer in domestic cricket, impressing for Chhattisgarh with both bat and ball.
Delhi Capitals have added a promising all rounder to their squad for IPL 2025 by signing Ajay Mandal for INR 30 lakh.
The 28 year old left arm spinner and attacking lower order batsman has been a regular performer in domestic cricket, impressing for Chhattisgarh with both bat and ball.
Born on February 25, 1996, Mandal has represented Chhattisgarh at every level, from under 14 to the senior team. He made his first class debut in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season, impressing with seven wickets in his first match. His breakthrough, though, came in the 2019–20 season when he batted at number eight and hammered an undefeated 241 against Uttarakhand. He kept getting better as a player, and in the 2022–23 Ranji Trophy season, he gave his best performance, taking 29 wickets which was the most for Chhattisgarh while also scoring 193 runs in five games.
Ajay Mandal has played 40 first-class matches, scoring 1,849 runs and taking 125 wickets. In 31 List A matches, he has scored 495 runs and taken 33 wickets. In 46 T20 matches, he has scored 450 runs and claimed 44 wickets.
In the ongoing 2023-2024 domestic season, Mandal took seven wickets in five matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. In the Ranji Trophy, he has scored 384 runs in six matches.
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After performing well in domestic cricket, Ajay Mandal finally earned an IPL contract when Chennai Super Kings signed him for his base price of INR 20 lakh in the 2023 auction. His impressive Ranji Trophy campaign in the 2022-23 season played a big role in getting him the deal. However, he did not get a chance to play that season. CSK retained him for the 2024 season, but once again, he did not get an opportunity and was eventually released.
Though he did not play his IPL debut, the exposure must have been worth it for Mandal as he got to share the same dressing room with the likes of MS Dhoni.
In the IPL 2025 auction, Delhi Capitals bought the Chhattisgarh all-rounder Ajay Mandal for INR 30 lakh, giving him another opportunity to make his IPL debut.
With his all-around skills, he can perform well if provided the opportunity. As Axar Patel is the lone dependable all-rounder in the Delhi Capitals team, Ajay Mandal can be a useful backup and could also be considered as an impact player. In spinner-friendly pitches, Ajay Mandal can be effective with his left-arm orthodox spin. As a batter, he can come in lower down the order and can score valuable knocks.
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