Vijaykumar Vyshak is a right-arm medium-fast bowler from Karnataka known for his control at the death and clever change of pace. After emerging through the domestic circuit, he gained wider attention in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and later earned national recognition with a call-up to the T20I squad.

Now part of the Punjab Kings, Vyshak has built a reputation as a dependable white-ball seamer who relies on execution rather than outright speed.

Vyshak Vijaykumar’s Early Life and Background

Vijaykumar Vyshak was born on January 31, 1997, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Interestingly, he did not begin his cricket journey as a bowler — during his school years, he was a top-order batter and even captained age-group sides, scoring heavily in junior tournaments.

The switch to fast bowling came in his late teens after he decided to challenge doubts about his fitness and pace. Guided by mentors and structured training, he worked intensely on conditioning and gradually transformed himself into a seam bowler. His father, who had once hoped to pursue cricket himself, supported the transition and became closely involved in his development.

The transformation reshaped his career path, turning him from a batting prospect into a fast bowler who relied on discipline, slower balls and yorkers rather than sheer pace.

Vyshak Vijaykumar’s Domestic Career

Vyshak Vijaykumar’s First-Class debut came on February 17, 2022, in the Ranji Trophy. Over the following seasons, he developed into a reliable red-ball seamer capable of bowling long spells. 

In one notable performance, he even scored an unbeaten century, reflecting his batting background. During the 2025–26 season, he played an important role in Karnataka’s run to the Ranji Trophy final, including a key spell in the semi-final. Vyshak has over 100 wickets to his name in this format. 

Vyshak made his List A debut for Karnataka on February 24, 2021, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He quickly settled into the side and contributed in knockout qualification matches, showing control with the new ball and in the middle overs and has become Karnataka’s mainstay in List A cricket. 

Vyshak made his senior T20 debut for Karnataka on November 6, 2021, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but his foundation in the format was built earlier in Karnataka’s state T20 league — first the Karnataka Premier League and later the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20.

Across multiple seasons, he represented different teams, gradually developing into a specialist white-ball bowler. Early performances with Mysore Warriors introduced him to competitive T20 cricket, and later with Mangaluru Dragons, he improved his wicket-taking consistency. His most stable phase came with Gulbarga Mystics, where he became part of the leadership group and contributed regularly with both wickets and useful runs.

The league allowed him to experiment with variations such as slower balls and knuckle deliveries, skills that later defined his bowling at higher levels. These performances directly led to his Karnataka call-up and eventually shaped his role as a death-overs bowler in domestic cricket.

Vyshak Vijaykumar’s IPL Career

Vyshak Vijaykumar’s IPL journey began in an unusual fashion. After going unsold in the auction, he joined the Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a net bowler in 2023. Impressive practice performances earned him a late squad inclusion, and he made his debut against the Delhi Capitals, delivering a standout spell with 3 wickets.

He spent two seasons with the franchise before being picked up by Punjab Kings in the 2025 auction for INR 1.80 crore. In his first season with the team, he was used as an impact bowling option, notably defending runs in a close match through precise yorkers at the death.

From net bowler to key T20 specialist, Vyshak’s IPL rise reflects a steady progression built on skill development and execution under pressure.

(As of February 2026)