Who is Malaysia's Virandeep Singh? Only Associate player to go under hammer in IPL 2026 mini-auction

Who is Malaysia's Virandeep Singh? 

Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh created history by becoming the only Associate player shortlisted for the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The 26-year-old Malaysian batting all-rounder enters the auction with a base price of INR 30 lakh. His inclusion comes after the BCCI revised the auction list and added nine new players, with Virandeep emerging as the lone representative from an Associate nation. The auction list was cut down from 1,390 registrations to 359 names, competing for just 77 spots, including 31 overseas slots.

Malaysia's all-time leading run-scorer

Born on March 23, 1999, in Kuala Lumpur, Virandeep has been one of the main members of the Malaysian team. A right-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he went up the ranks after picking up the sport in primary school. By age 13, he was already representing Malaysia U-16, followed by the U-19 team at age 14.

His breakthrough came at 15 when he became the youngest player to represent Malaysia at the international level. He made his T20I debut against Thailand and later added another unique feat when he captained his national team at 20 years and 190 days, becoming the youngest male cricketer ever to lead a T20I team.

Virandeep ahead of Virat Kohli in unique feat

So far, he has scored 3,115 runs in 108 T20Is at an average of 37.53, making him Malaysia’s all-time leading run-scorer. His highest score stands at an unbeaten 116 against Indonesia in 2023. With the ball, he has picked 108 T20I wickets, including a spell of 4 for 5 against Mongolia in 2024. He is also the first male cricketer in history to register the all-round double of 3,000 runs and 100 wickets in T20Is. Furthermore, Virandeep holds the record for the most Player-of-the-Match awards in T20Is with 22, more than that of Virat Kohli.

The youngster also comes with valuable franchise experience. He has featured in Nepal’s Everest Premier League for Chitwan Tigers, the ILT20 for Sharjah Warriors, and Global T20 Canada for Surrey Jaguars. Notably, his experience and skill set make him a steal if teams are looking to lock in on a dependable all-rounder.