Right-arm medium-fast bowler Vyshak Vijay Kumar (real name Vijaykumar Vyshak) hails from Bengaluru, and was born on January 31, 1997. He plays for Karnataka domestically, and is a member of the Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. He has played 22+ IPL matches and has claimed 23+ wickets in IPL with an economy of 10.30 and a best of 3/20 in his debut. In IPL 2026, he has 5 wickets in three matches, and is PBKS’s leading wicket-taker. In march 2026, his journey reaches its destination when he gets married to his childhood love, with some of the biggest stars from the south. Here’s all about Vyshak Vijay Kumar’s background, age, Cricket stats, wife and more.
Who is Vyshak Vijay Kumar ?
Vyshak Vijay Kumar’s cricket career almost didn’t happen. He began his cricketing career as a batsman – scoring a century captaining Karnataka’s under-16 team – but only began to bowl medium-pace seriously at 17. This was following advice from an academy coach who said he would not be fast enough to bowl. Vyshak was determined to prove him wrong.
Vyshak is now the leading fast bowler in Karnataka, he has played IPL twice, and RCB brought him in as a replacement where he made the best debut by an RCB bowler in IPL. The national T20I team has called him up, and he signed a contract with the IPL’s Punjab Kings in 2016 – in which he has already taken more wickets early on in the season than he did in any of his previous seasons. Source: Cricbuzz
Quick Biography Profile
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Vijaykumar Vyshak |
| Date of Birth | January 31, 1997 |
| Age (2026) | 29 years |
| Birthplace | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Role | Right-arm Medium-fast Bowler |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
| Domestic Team | Karnataka |
| IPL Team (2026) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) |
| IPL Price (2026) | Rs 1.80 crore (retained) |
| IPL Debut | April 15, 2023, RCB vs Delhi Capitals |
| Best IPL Bowling | 3/20 on debut vs DC (April 15, 2023) |
Vyshak Vijaykumar’s Age, Zodiac Sign, and Personality
Vijaykumar Vyshak was born on 31st January, 1997 in Kengeri, Bengaluru, Karnataka, and he’ll be 29 years old in 2026. He was born on the 31st of January, making him an Aquarius, that make him independence of mind, strong principles and cool-headedness in the face of adversity – traits that match up perfectly with the cricketer that Vyshak has become. Source: Starsundolded
His focus and attention to detail is way above his years, according to coaches and commentators. To his team mates, he is a quiet player, a hard worker (even when not asked to) and a player who doesn’t give up in the face of adversity.
Early Life and Background
Vijaykumar Vyshak was born on January 31, 1997 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He began playing cricket as a right-handed batsman, and was good enough to captain Karnataka Under-16 to a century – a rare achievement that hints at the possibility of becoming a dedicated batsman.
But at the age of 17 years, he decided that he wanted to bowl fast. Specifically, he wanted to prove a coach at the academy wrong – that he would never bowl fast enough to play competitive cricket – and so decided to become a medium-fast bowler. It took him several years to make the transition – from being a top-order batsman to becoming a bowling all-rounder, mostly in the domestic game. He details this in interviews before IPL 2026, in which he also claimed to be self-motivated in all his endeavours. Source: Crictoday
Vyshak Vijaykumar Wedding: Married Sagarika
On March 5, 2026, Vyshak Vijaykumar is on his “most important innings”. The paceman married his long-time partner Sagarika in a traditional wedding ceremony at Main Palace, Bengaluru, attended by the fast bowler’s family and friends from the cricketing fraternity, and a few celebrities from the entertainment industry. Sandalwood actor Kichcha Sudeep blessed the wedding guests, adding a celebrity touch that made the overall warm and homely wedding ceremony all the more special. Source: Times of India
Vyshak Vijaykumar Marriage photos from the wedding ceremony were shared on social media in just a few hours, and were warmly welcomed by cricket fans from all over Karnataka and India. Sagarika and Vyshak Vijaykumar have been friends for a while, reports say, so the wedding ceremony was more a celebration of their relationship than a formal wedding. Furthermore, the timing – a few weeks before the IPL 2026 – meant Vyshak had a healthy relationship on which to focus as he prepared for a successful stint on the pitch.
Vyshak Vijaykumar’s Wife: Sagarika
Sagarika, who became Vyshak Vijaykumar’s wife on March 5, 2026, is described by family and close friends as being a gentle, humble and a supportive wife to Vyshak’s cricketing ambitions. Despite her apparent desire not to be in the spotlight, her presence at cricketing events with Vyshak has meant that she is getting more exposure with the fans of Karnataka cricket. But aside from these events and the now-infamous wedding photos, there is very little information about Sagarika’s professional and personal life – a fact that is presumably in keeping with her (and Vyshak’s) preference for privacy.
Domestic Career Highlights
Vyshak made his debut for Karnataka in List A cricket on February 24, 2021 (Vijay Hazare Trophy), T20 on November 5 or 6, 2021 (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT)) and first-class cricket on February 17, 2022 (Ranji Trophy). He made good progress in all formats.
In the SMAT 2022-23, he was one of the most economical fast bowlers – fifth-highest wicket-taker (15 in 8 matches) with an economy of 6.31 for a fast bowler in T20 cricket is excellent. Not sold in the 2023 IPL auction, he chose to play Ranji Trophy 2022-23 for the Karnataka team and was the joint-highest wicket-taker for his team with 31 wickets in 8 matches. The eyes were attracted to this performance, including RCB’s.
He claimed 39 wickets in one extraordinary season of the Ranji Trophy, piling on another achievement that speaks volumes about his incredibly versatile skills. And to boot, he also notched up an unbeaten century in first class cricket against the odds of Chhattisgarh. Hence the impressive tally – 103 wickets in first class cricket, a best of 5 for 59 to really make an impact, plus 50 domestic T20 wickets under his belt – with a personal best of 3 for 5 for Karnataka. In the SMAT 2025-26, he was the leading pace bowler for Karnataka, and the team’s leading wicket-taker.
Vyshak Vijay Kumar IPL Stats (season- wise)
Note: Vyshak played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2023 and 2024, and for Punjab Kings (PBKS) from 2025 onwards (post mega auction).
Bowling Stats
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| IPL | 2 Teams | 23 | 22 | 453 | 795 | 23 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 34.56 | 10.52 | 19.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL 2026 | PBKS | 7 | 6 | 120 | 219 | 6 | 3/34 | 3/34 | 36.5 | 10.95 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL 2025 | PBKS | 5 | 5 | 102 | 181 | 4 | 2/44 | 2/44 | 45.25 | 10.64 | 25.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL 2024 | RCB | 4 | 4 | 87 | 142 | 4 | 2/23 | 2/23 | 35.5 | 9.79 | 21.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL 2023 | RCB | 7 | 7 | 144 | 253 | 9 | 3/20 | 3/20 | 28.11 | 10.54 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Batting and Fielding Stats
| Tournament | Teams | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| IPL | 2 Teams | 23 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 13* | 7 | 12 | 116.66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| IPL 2026 | PBKS | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| IPL 2025 | PBKS | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| IPL 2024 | RCB | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1* | 1 | 3 | 33.33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| IPL 2023 | RCB | 7 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 13* | 13 | 9 | 144.44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
IPL Best: 3/20 v Delhi Capitals (April 15, 2023)
Vyshak’s IPL journey started on April 7, 2023 when he was acquired by RCB to replace the injured Rajat Patidar. He played his first IPL match a week later against Delhi Capitals. He took 3/20 in four overs – claiming scalps of David Warner and Axar Patel. It was the best bowling performance by RCB in their first match. For a player who was unsold at the previous auction two weeks ago, he made a big statement.
He finished IPL 2023 with 9 wickets in 7 matches and continued to play for RCB in IPL 2024 where he played 4 matches and had 4 wickets. He didn’t get a chance to play, they had a good team and impact player rule but he was good.
IPL 2025 and Joins Punjab Kings
During the 2025 mega auction, the Punjab Kings bought Vyshak for Rs 1.80 crore as a wicket taker, and his previous team did not give him the opportunity to play. In 2025, he played 5 games for PBKS, and took 4 wickets. His best game was when he was used as an Impact Sub by the captain – Arshdeep Singh – in a high scorer against the Gujarat Titans: he bowled a match winning spell of bowling. This was a harbinger of what was to come – he was becoming a deathovers specialist.
Vyshak Vijay Kumar IPL 2026: Head and Tail of PBKS
IPL 2016 has seen Vyshak have his best start to an IPL season. He has bowled in the first three games (excluding a rain washed out affair against KKR), has taken 5 wickets and held the Purple Cap for a couple of days at the beginning of the season. In his encounter with the Gujarat Titans, he scalped Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar and Shahrukh Khan late to effectively shut down a late rally by his opponent and help win the game. This year, he is the highest wicket-taker for the PBKS – a more focused and valuable role than he has played in the past.
At the beginning of this season, Vyshak said: ‘I think that in T20s if you are playing on a flat wicket and if you are able to keep the run-rate below ten, then I think that’s when you are putting pressure on the batting side.’ He has followed this dictum – of emphasising team and preparation, rather than individual performance – in 2016.
Vyshak Vijay Kumar’s Bowling, Batting & Fielding Stats
Vyshak is a right-handed medium-fast bowler, with pace and cutters. He bowls his good balls (an off-cutter, which grips and rises off good-length balls and a faster one) in the powerplay and in the first half of the innings. He bowls wide and short in death overs.
Bowling Stats
His economy in Indian T20 cricket (6.31 in SMAT 2022-23) is much better than his IPL economy (10.30 career), which means that the IPL players are superior. He’s a consistent performer in the IPL (in terms of taking wickets), he doesn’t have “off” moments, where he can’t take wickets, so he’s a “plan” bowler and not a “condition” bowler.
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| FC | 31 | 59 | 5529 | 2917 | 116 | 5/59 | 8/123 | 25.14 | 3.16 | 47.6 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| List A | 29 | 29 | 1365 | 1374 | 40 | 4/22 | 4/22 | 34.35 | 6.03 | 34.1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 56 | 55 | 1164 | 1776 | 67 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 26.5 | 9.15 | 17.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Batting & Fielding
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| FC | 31 | 40 | 4 | 568 | 103* | 15.77 | 1064 | 53.38 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| List A | 29 | 11 | 5 | 125 | 54 | 20.83 | 140 | 89.28 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| T20s | 56 | 16 | 6 | 66 | 13* | 6.6 | 54 | 122.22 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
Recent Matches (2026)
| Match | Bat | Bowl | Date | Ground | Format |
| PBKS vs DC | — | 0/48 | 25-Apr-2026 | Delhi | T20 |
| PBKS vs LSG | — | 1/30 | 19-Apr-2026 | New Chandigarh | T20 |
| PBKS vs MI | — | 0/36 | 16-Apr-2026 | Wankhede | T20 |
| PBKS vs SRH | — | 0/33 | 11-Apr-2026 | New Chandigarh | T20 |
| PBKS vs KKR | — | — | 06-Apr-2026 | Eden Gardens | T20 |
| PBKS vs CSK | — | 2/38 | 03-Apr-2026 | Chennai | T20 |
| PBKS vs GT | — | 3/34 | 31-Mar-2026 | New Chandigarh | T20 |
| Karnataka vs J & K | 17* | 1/75 & 1/30 | 24-Feb-2026 | Hubballi | FC |
| Karnataka vs Uttarakhand | 0 & 0 | 3/45 & 1/22 | 15-Feb-2026 | Lucknow | FC |
| Karnataka vs M. Pradesh | 5 & 8 | 2/71 & 0/39 | 22-Jan-2026 | Alur | FC |
International Recognition
In October 2024, Vyshak was for the first time, called up to the Indian T20I team, to play in a four-match series in South Africa. Although he didn’t play, being called up to the competitive Indian T20I team, proved that he is not “only” a domestic player or IPL player. He has learnt a “lot” in the training with the team, he said. He had a target, before the commencement of IPL 2016, to play for India in Test cricket.
Vyshak Vijaykumar’s Net Worth 2026
In early 2026, the networth of India’s Vyshak Vijaykumar is estimated to be $0.7 million to $1.3 million (₹5-10 crore). He earns his living mainly from his IPL salary (the Punjab Kings bought him for ₹1.80 crore in 2025), domestic cricket and endorsements, IPL Salary 2026 reports. Source: IPLt20
His IPL and domestic T20 and his national team prominence, will serve him well in his negotiations for his next contract, which will be at the IPL auctions.
Vyshak Vijaykumar’s Social Media Profile
Vyshak Vijaykumar has an Instagram account (@vyshak_vijay) with more than 208,000 followers and 183 posts as of the beginning of 2026. The Karnataka team intermingled postings of cricket (match action, training, etc) and team posts with personal posts, most significantly the wedding with Sagarika that became viral and led to a huge popularity increase after the wedding on March 5.
The only other prominent public presence is on Instagram (with a few accounts) but this is consistent with his desire to keep his life private. But he has certainly stepped up his social media game as he has gained prominence with the IPL and this is sure to continue as his popularity expands. The last few posts about his wedding were his most popular on social media from his fellow cricketers, Kannada movie stars and cricket fans from all over the country.
| Social Media Platform | Handle | Followers |
| @Vyshak Vijaykumar | 208K |
Conclusion
Vyshak Vijay Kumar started his bowling career late, no teams picked him up, and he made a lucky debut (due to an injury) with the best bowling figures by an RCB debutant. He is a regular wicket taker in domestic cricket and has a tough time ahead in the IPL, for the Punjab Kings in 2026. And his dream of playing cricket for India at test level makes his journey even smoother. But for now he is the saviour of PBKS squad: a composed, mature, fast and wicket taking bowler.
FAQs
Vyshak has played 22+ IPL matches, and has 23+ wickets and an economy rate of 10.30. His best bowling figures are 3/20, on his IPL debut for RCB vs DC in April 2023. He has played 3 matches and has 5 wickets this IPL, and is PBKS bowling captain.
He has been acquired by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for IPL 2016. He was re-signed by PBKS for Rs 1.80 crore at the 2025 mega auction from RCB whom he played for in 2023 and 2024.
Vyshak Vijay Kumar is a right-arm medium-fast bowler, who bowls the off-cutter, variation in pace and yorkers in the last overs. His economy in the domestic T20s is 6.31 and in IPL, it’s 10.30.
He has been selected in the T20I squad to play against South Africa in October 2024 but hasn’t played for India yet. He has played for South Zone and India C.
His best bowling so far in IPL is 3/20, his IPL debut for RCB against Delhi Capitals on April 15, 2023 – the best by an RCB bowler on their IPL debut. He dismissals were David Warner and Axar Patel.
Read More:
Swapnil Singh Biography (2026) Age, Stats, Current Teams, Career and More
