Vipraj relishing the challenges on his maiden tour

Vipraj Nigam has already learnt that in cricket, things can change in a hurry.

A breakout IPL season in 2025, where he picked up 11 wickets for Delhi Capitals and emerged as one of the country’s most promising young leg-spinners, fast-tracked his rise. India-A opportunities followed, and despite a quieter IPL this year, the Uttar Pradesh all-rounder has remained firmly in the selectors’ plans.

Now in Sri Lanka with India-A for the ongoing tri-series, Vipraj is experiencing another important first — his maiden tour.

“Playing a tri-series here in the one-day format is completely new for me, and I’m enjoying it. The wickets here are very different from what we get in India. You may not see very high-scoring games here, but it is still a valuable experience. It’s helping me learn a lot,” Vipraj told The Hindu ahead of India-A’s must-win game against Sri Lanka-A on Monday.

The transition from IPL cricket to the demands of the 50-over format also requires a fair bit of adjustment. “When you play in the IPL, it’s a T20 game and everything happens very quickly. Your role is completely different.

“In one-day cricket, things change. You have to bowl longer spells, field for 50 overs, and contribute throughout the game. The entire approach changes,” he said.

That shift has reinforced the importance of fitness.

“Fitness becomes extremely important because you’re not involved in just a three-hour game. In the IPL, you might bowl four overs and then not be involved as much. Here, there is no Impact Player rule too.”

The 21-year-old also believes mental resilience is just as important.

“Cricket is full of ups and downs. If you’re not mentally strong, you won’t be able to handle either success or failure properly.”

The youngster revealed he has benefited from conversations with his State-mate Kuldeep Yadav. “Before coming here, Kuldeep bhaiya told me about how wickets in Sri Lanka behave and how I could be more effective here. He advised me on specific areas to work on”.