LUCKNOW, Dec. 19 -- How many people knew about mystery spinner Vishal Nishad in domestic cricket before Tuesday? Hardly any. However, former Australian skipper and Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting knows him as now the 20-year-old boy is in the plans of the franchise for the upcoming season of the cash-rich Indian Premier League. Son of a painter from a small village Madraha, just 13 km away from Gorakhpur, Vishal started playing with leather ball just four years ago, and within a few months, he became an integral part of Gorakhpur Lions, a franchise in the UPT20 League and in two consecutive seasons, the boy made a mark for himself, bagging six and eight wickets in consecutive seas-ons. But this wasn't enough for him to make the cut for an IPL franchise, and here comes former Uttar Pradesh skipper and Punjab Kings' scout Ankit Rajpoot, who advocated his case strongly with Ponting and others and the boy got the contract of Rs 30 lakh as an uncapped player for the side during the auction at Abu Dhabi early this week. "Vishal impressed me a lot when I held the trials for the Gorakhpur Lions in Gorakhpur ahead of the UPT20 League in 2024, and from that day onwards I was thinking of this boy to make it to the IPL side," said Rajpoot, head coach of Gorakhpur Lions. "It wasn't easy at all as first the bowler was put through the motions with the Andhra Pradesh team as a net bowler for almost 10 days during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Lucknow early this month and he was watched by AP's mentor and assistant coach of Punjab Kings, Trevor Gonsalves at the nets," said Rajpoot, adding, "Thereafter, my suggestion, supported by pics and videos met the expectations of Ricky Ponting and Punjab Kings' bowling coach and former India star Sairaj Bahutule." "What I like most about Vishal is his bowling style. He is a mystery bowler like Varun Chakravarthy, Ajantha Mendis etc., and it's hard to read his length with his style of gripping the ball. He is the most unpredictable spinner, who can hit your stumps from anywhere," said Rajpoot. "He has plenty of variations in his bowling and that suits the game plan in a T20 event." He also said how luck changed for Vishal after getting a contract with Punjab Kings as the bowler was immediately asked by the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association to join the camp for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, starting from Wednesday at Rajkot. "Yes, I am very much in the camp, but so far have no idea of getting a place in the team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy," said Vishal on Thursday. "If given a chance, I will try to give my best," he further said. A genuine tennis-ball player, Vishal could hold a leather ball only four years ago when his coach Kalyan Singh Sir told him to try his hand on leather ball at his Sanskriti Cricket Academy. "It was hard and initially I found it hard even to hold, but after bowling a few deliveries I felt comfortable. In fact, one of my friends took me the Kalyan Sir's academy as he saw a mystery bowler in me," said Vishal. "In fact, I had no idea that cricket could fetch me money too. I came to know about this only when I was given a handsome amount for playing in the UPT20 League for Gorakhpur Lions," he said. "I am thankful to Kalyan Sir, Rajpoot Sir and even Moosi Raza Sir, who helped me a lot at the beginning as well as in the UPT20 League," he further said. Vishal, however, said the Rs 30 lakh contract with Punjab Kings is quite big for his family, which is always struggling for funds. "I have seen poverty. Now, I can do something for my family and at home everybody is happy that at least one kid of the family is playing the real cricket as all my brothers as well as my father too used to play cricket with tennis ball," said Vishal. The bowler, who hasn't debuted for Uttar Pradesh in the board trophy matches in the last four years, also aims to play for his state team. "Only this season, I made it to the first 150 players in the Under-23 team, but to no avail thereafter. But I wish to play for my state team as well as for Team India in future," said Vishal, who has been a passionate follower of Virat Kohli. "I always wanted to be a cricketer like Virat Kohli even from my school days. I would love to bowl to him, if God gives this opportunity to me in my life ever. For cricket, I left my studies after 12th and don't miss matches of Kohli," he concluded....