Sirsa’s Kanishk Chauhan set to make IPL debut in 2026

Kanishk Chauhan, a young cricketer from Sirsa district in Haryana, will play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time in 2026 after being picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

RCB bought Chauhan at his base price of Rs 30 lakh at a mini auction held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday evening. He will join the team after the Asia Cup and is set to play alongside star batter Virat Kohli.

Another Haryana player, Daksh Kamra from Hisar, has also secured a place in the IPL at the auction.

According to Sirsa Cricket Association secretary Dr Ved Beniwal, Chauhan is currently in Dubai for the Under-19 Asia Cup. He is the only player from Sirsa and Haryana to feature in the tournament. On Sunday, he was named Player of the Match against Pakistan after scoring 46 runs and taking three wickets. His all-round performance helped attract bids at the IPL auction.

Chauhan’s coach, Jaskaran Singh Sidhu, said the player is a strong all-rounder who contributes with both bat and ball. Chauhan is originally from Jhajjar, and trained at the Shah Satnam Ji Stadium in Sirsa. He has earlier represented India on tours of England and Australia.

Chauhan said his performances in the Challenge Trophy and matches against Afghanistan helped him earn selection for the Asia Cup.

He added that good facilities at the Sirsa stadium played a key role in his cricketing journey, helping him progress to state and national levels.