Vipraj Nigam, a 20-year-old leg-spinner from Uttar Pradesh, had a tough start in his first Indian Premier League match on Monday. He faced some heavy hitting from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh, giving up 35 runs in just two overs. Axar Patel decided not to bowl him again after the 7th over. Despite that rough beginning, Nigam managed to take Aiden Markram’s wicket.
When Delhi Capitals were struggling at 113/6 in the 13th over while chasing a huge target of 210, Nigam stepped in and made some noise. On his third ball, he hit Ravi Bishnoi for a boundary and then followed up with another four and a six in that over, racking up 17 runs. By the time he got out in the 17th over, he had scored a quick 39 runs off 15 balls and built a key 55-run partnership with Ashutosh Sharma, helping Delhi get back on track to chase down the score.
So, who is Vipraj Nigam?
He’s an all-rounder who stood out in the UPT20 league, which earned him a spot in first-class cricket. He played in the Ranji Trophy against Bengal in October, where he took four wickets in the first innings, including some notable batsmen. He ended that tournament with 13 wickets from three matches, averaging 31.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he took eight wickets in seven games with a solid economy rate. He also had a standout moment hitting 27 runs off just eight balls to lead Uttar Pradesh to victory against Andhra. Playing for the Lucknow Falcons in the UPT20 league, he picked up 20 wickets in 11 matches, maintaining a 7.45 economy.
