Uttar Pradesh were playing Bengal in a Ranji Trophy game, in Lucknow, in October last year. In the first innings, at 212 for 1, Bengal were in the ascendancy. Aryan Juyal, the skipper of UP, was clearly searching for a spark of inspiration from somewhere in the field.
He soon threw the ball to Vipraj Nigam, the 20-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder. Soon, Vipraj weaved a web around the batting unit as Bengal slipped to 263 for 7. The essence of his bowling wasn’t just restricted to his final figures of 4 for 81, but it was the way in which he flummoxed the batters that caught the attention.
Sudip Chaterjee was done in by a leg-spinner that drifted in before going on its natural path to catch the edge. And that was followed by a couple of googlies that fizzed through to befuddle the two veterans – Anustup Majumdar and W Saha. Vipraj, who was making his first-class debut, had shown his craft was meant for higher honours.
Some months later, that in-drift was the reason behind Delhi Capitals’ Vipraj hogging the limelight in the world of IPL – He had just taken the prized scalp of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli. It was a nicely tossed up delivery, with the line being outside the off-stump. All that Kohli could do was to fall into the trap and spoon a catch to the fielder positioned at long-off. Vipraj’s exploits in the 2025 IPL didn’t stop there, as in the very next game, he also removed Rohit Sharma – this time with a googly. Once more he had befuddled a couple of experienced campaigners with not just the leg-spinner but also the wrong ‘un.
Compared to his bowling, Vipraj didn’t really impress with his batting skills in the just concluded domestic season. But he did crack a game-breaking 8-ball unbeaten 27, versus Andhra, which in turn took UP past the finish line.
In the ongoing IPL, he showcased more evidence of his potential with a willow in hand – A quick-fire 39 against LSG. Vipraj had come out to bat with his team in all kinds of trouble at 113 for 6. However, he proceeded to play an array of strokes. His 15-ball innings also was instrumental in powering DC to a come-from-behind, thrilling victory.
More than the runs he scored, it was also about the way he accumulated those runs against. Vipraj repeatedly manufactured room to essay a slew of boundaries behind and in front of square on the off-side. Just zoom in on those shots with the binoculars and you will observe that those dexterous wrists took over at the nth moment to leave the bowler stunned into silence.
Vipraj, who looks up to Yasir Shah as a source of inspiration, still has a long way to go. Invariably, the second step is always tougher to take than the first – Backing up an impressive first season of IPL with consistent performances in the next one. Suddenly, there would be a higher level of expectations on the promising cricketer to showcase his box of tricks. Only time will tell whether Vipraj can continue to chisel out a successful path. For now, he is one of the leading lights of the next generation of Indian cricketers.
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