When the IPL 2026 mini-auction was underway in Abu Dhabi, Vishal Nishad wasn’t surrounded by agents or celebrating in a luxury hotel. The 20-year-old leg-spinner was sitting quietly at Kanpur’s Kamla Club, attending Uttar Pradesh’s preparatory camp for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Like countless young cricketers across India, he stared at a screen, knowing one raised paddle could rewrite his life.
For two rounds, nothing happened. Nishad went unsold, and the familiar doubt returned. Then, in the third round, his name flashed up. Punjab Kings raised the paddle — ₹30 lakh. Just like that, the journey changed direction.
Read More :- India vs Sri Lanka 1st Women’s T20I Live Streaming: When and Where to Watch IND-W vs SL-W Match
“This is life-changing for me,” Nishad later told The Times of India.
A beginning far from the spotlight
Nishad’s cricket story didn’t start with academies or leather balls. It began in a small village near Gorakhpur, where matches were played with tennis balls on uneven grounds. Talent wasn’t the problem. Money was.
“I didn’t even have enough to buy basic equipment,” he has said. Switching to leather-ball cricket felt like a distant dream.
That changed when a friend, Vineet Pandey, noticed Nishad’s natural wrist position and urged him to try formal coaching. Eventually, Nishad reached the Sanskriti Cricket Academy in Gorakhpur. Coach Kalyan Singh initially charged a fee, but once he understood the family’s situation, he waived it completely. For three years, Nishad trained without paying a single rupee.
Borrowed gear, earned belief
Training wasn’t easy. Nishad practised by borrowing shoes, pads and bats from fellow players. Slowly, his raw action evolved. The ball dipped late, turned unexpectedly, and began troubling batters in the air.
The real break came during the 2024 Uttar Pradesh T20 League trials. Nishad didn’t even have money for travel. He borrowed ₹2,000 from a friend and made the trip to Noida. In his first practice game, he took three wickets.
He was picked by the Gorakhpur Lions and finished the season with seven wickets in four matches. He followed it up with another solid campaign the next year.
On the radar of IPL scouts
Those performances caught the eye of former Uttar Pradesh captain and Punjab Kings scout Ankit Rajpoot. Nishad was soon flagged to the franchise management. He was also used as a net bowler during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where Punjab’s assistant coach Trevor Gonsalves watched him closely.
Read More :- India vs Pakistan, U19 Asia Cup Final Live Streaming: When and Where to Watch IND vs PAK on TV and Online
“What stood out was his unpredictability,” Rajpoot told Hindustan Times. “His action is hard to read, and he can hit the stumps from different angles. That kind of mystery works well in T20 cricket.”
Videos of Nishad’s bowling quietly circulated within franchise circles. Head coach Ricky Ponting and bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule were convinced enough to take a calculated gamble. The ₹30 lakh bid was the result of months of observation, not a last-minute call.
What the IPL contract means back home
For Nishad’s family, the amount means stability. His father works as a daily-wage labourer, taking up painting and masonry jobs whenever work is available.
“We never imagined someone from our family would reach the IPL,” Nishad said. “Now I can finally support them.”
He has already joined Uttar Pradesh’s camp for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, though a debut is still not guaranteed. Nishad understands this is just the start.
“If I get a chance, I’ll give my best,” he said.
Four years ago, he was still learning how to hold a leather ball. Today, there’s an IPL contract in his name — a reminder that sometimes, the quietest journeys travel the farthest.
