Vipraj Nigam, a leg-spinner, was handed his debut cap for the Delhi Capitals in the team’s first IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants on March 24 (Monday). Playing at their second home ground, YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam, the Capitals will be up against Lucknow Super Giants, a team representing Uttar Pradesh. 

Nigam, who made his Capitals debut, is a UP boy himself. He gained fame and probably the IPL contract due to his outstanding showing in the UPT20 2024. The leg-spinner played 12 matches and took 20 wickets at an amazing strike rate of 11.15.

Courtesy of his showing in that league, he was handed a Uttar Pradesh debut in all formats. The 20-year-old has appeared in three first-class, five List-A and seven T20 matches, all of which came in the 2024-25 season. 

In the UPT20, Nigam was excellent at defending totals, picking up 14 wickets in five innings while bowling second compared to six wickets in six innings while bowling first. He was able to get success with both the leg break and the googly. While the stock ball yielded him 13 wickets, the rest came via googly. 

Though he was not very successful in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024/25 in terms of wickets, he was better at controlling the run rate, as his economy in the entire tournament was 7.12. 

It would be interesting to see how Axar Patel uses the leg-break services alongside himself and Kuldeep Yadav. The leg-break bowler is also a more than good enough batter, and his big-hitting prowess could be used in the death overs.