He is yet to represent Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket.
The story of Vishal Nishad connects with many youngsters from small towns or villages in India, who are pursuing their dreams without financial backing. They often borrow equipment, hoping that hard work, discipline, and fate will guide them to success.
When the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction took place in Abu Dhabi on December 16, all eyes were on big stars like Cameron Green and Venkatesh Iyer, and several fans were focused on the bidding wars. Amid the chaos, Vishal Nishad, a leg-spinner from Gorakhpur, had a huge sigh of relief. Sitting at Kanpur’s Kamla Club during Uttar Pradesh’s Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 campaign, Nishad watched the event quietly, hoping for one raised paddle that could change his future.
The first two rounds of IPL 2026 were disappointing. But Punjab Kings acquired the services of Vishal Nishad in the third round for a base price of INR 30 lakh. That one moment represented his years of struggle in silence and a firm belief that his bowling could eventually make him stand out.
Vishal Nishad’s cricketing journey began in Jangal Ayodhya Prasad village, near the Khorabar police station in Gorakhpur, a place still hoping for a decent playground for cricket. It was his friend Vineet Pandey who encouraged him to switch to a leather ball for formal training after watching his bowling in local tennis ball cricket matches.
The idea didn’t sit well at first for the 20-year-old, whose father works as both a carpenter and a mason. But Pandey persisted and spoke to a coach at Gorakhpur’s Sanskriti Cricket Academy. Coach Kalyan Singh asked Vishal Nishad to bow, and the impressed coach gave him training for three years without charging him a single penny.
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The struggles and perseverance of Vishal Nishad, and backing from his coach, gave him a first breakout when trials for the UP T20 League 2024 were announced. But there was one more catch. The trials were scheduled in Noida, and Vishal couldn’t afford the trip. He borrowed INR 2,000 from his friend to reach the venue and impressed the selectors with three wickets in the first practice match, which secured a spot on the Gorakhpur Lions. Vishal snared seven wickets in four matches at an average of 14 and an economy of 7 in his debut season, proving his mettle.
Vishal Nishad followed that with another solid season, adding five wickets in five games at an economy of 8.65. His best spell in the tournament came against Noida Kings, when he picked three wickets for 45 runs, including a scalp of India batter Nitish Rana for just 14.
Though he is yet to represent the State team (Uttar Pradesh) across formats, his UP T20 League exploits and videos of his “mystery bowling” caught the eyeballs of IPL franchise scouts. PBKS scout Ankit Rajpoot, who had seen him in the UP T20 League, pushed his case for inclusion.
“Vishal impressed me during trials before the UP T20 League 2024. He later bowled as a net bowler with Andhra Pradesh during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where Punjab Kings’ assistant coach Trevor Gonsalves watched him. What stands out about Vishal is his unique, mystery style, similar to Varun Chakravarthy or Ajantha Mendis. He’s hard to read, has plenty of variations, and can hit the stumps from anywhere, making him ideal for T20 cricket,” Rajpoot told Hindustan Times.
Interestingly, Varun Chakaravarthy also made his IPL debut with PBKS in 2019, but he was released ahead of the next season.
Now, with a contract from Punjab Kings and a chance to share the dressing room with Yuzvendra Chahal, the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, Vishal Nishad eyes a bright future ahead.
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