Several IPL teams called him for trials.
As the IPL 2026 auction approaches, several fringe and unknown players might join one of the teams for the upcoming season. Among them can be a 21-year-old Krains Fuletra from Saurashtra.
Fuletra is among the rare commodities in cricket: a chinaman who is a genuine wicket-taker and has been rising quickly through the ranks. Jaydev Unadkat first spotted him and roped him in as a net bowler in Rajkot, from where he was fast-tracked into the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 squad.
Soon, Krains Fuletra made his List A debut against Karnataka earlier this year. Later, he was also selected for Saurashtra’s U23 squad, rising from being nowhere near the setup to a constant member across age-group tournaments, and was also part of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as a net bowler in IPL 2025.
Krains Fuletra hasn’t played enough cricket at the highest state level, but has been involved in various age-group tournaments and local T20 leagues. In his only List A game, Fuletra was expensive, conceding 79 runs and going wicketless.
However, he performed well in the Saurashtra Pro T20 League 2025, snaring 10 wickets at an average of 21.30 in nine innings, with a best of 3/22. Fuletra continued his good run for Saurashtra in the U23 tournament and is the leading wicket-taker for his team, with 14 wickets at an average of 27 in seven outings.
ALSO READ:
In all these matches, his wicket-taking ability has come to the fore, for he is always among the wickets and brings a genuine threat. This is one of the major reasons why Fuletra has made rapid progress in competitive cricket over the last year or so.
From footage available, Krains Fuletra seems to have nice control over his lengths and can really get significant turn off the pitch. He has a lethal googly that goes away from right-handers and watches batters till the very end to vary his pace and length accordingly.
In one of the podcasts, SRH batter Heinrich Klaasen explained he was unable to pick him in the nets despite facing ample left-arm spin in his career. Hence, he was left frustrated while also being impressed with the young bowler’s craft.
That someone like Klaasen has failed to pick him suggests how good Fuletra has been early in his career, and he will only improve from here on. Recent exposure to age-group tournaments will help him understand his own bowling better and become a complete package.
According to sources, Krains Fuletra attended trials for as many as seven IPL teams ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. That suggests he might be on the radar of several franchises, and the spinner might start a bidding war.
Among prime contenders to get him are Sunrisers Hyderabad, who know what Fuletra brings to the table and need a few wrist spinners in their squad. They let the likes of Rahul Chahar and Adam Zampa go, while Zeeshan Ansari, their only retained wrist spinner, is inexperienced and can’t be trusted as the lead bowler.
Other teams that might be interested in him are the Rajasthan Royals (RR), who released Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, and the Mumbai Indians (MI), who have parted ways with Vignesh Puthur and Karn Sharma. In fact, MI are known to get such talents and will likely go after Fuletra.
He couldn’t have found a better time to make an impact in the local arena and grab the limelight, for the auction is just around the corner, and almost every team require wrist spinners. Several unknown talents have fetched big sums in previous auctions, and there’s every chance that Krains Fuletra will be the next name on the list.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
