Who is Virandeep Singh? The only associate player in IPL auction eyeing career-changing contract

Virandeep Singh for Malaysia - (Source: AFP)

The IPL 2026 mini-auction is less than a week away, and the Etihad Arena in the UAE will host the mega event. The governing body revealed that 359 players have been finalised for the marquee events, comprising 16 capped Indians, 96 capped overseas players, 224 uncapped Indians, and 14 uncapped overseas players. 

Interestingly, in the 359-member list, there is only one associate member, Virandeep Singh. The 26-year-old plays for Malaysia and has registered himself at a base price of 30 lakhs. 

Meanwhile, this article will shed light on who is Virandeep Singh and the teams that might target him for IPL 2026.

Who is Virandeep Singh?

The 26-year-old made his debut for Malaysia at the age of 19 in 2019 against Thailand. Further, he also became the youngest player in Malaysian history to captain their team. 

Further, he is the 11th leading run-getter in T20I history and has scored 3115 in 103 innings. Not only with the bat, but Singh also bowls and offers a lot more than just a part-time bowler.

He features in leagues across the world, such as ILT20 and is in fine form recently. Let's look at his recent performances in leagues across the world and which teams can target the 26-year-old. 

Singh's performance with the bat

Singh's performance with the ball

Teams that can target Virandeep Singh

1. Gujarat Titans

Virandeep Singh bats at No.3 and can be demoted to No. 4 to fit in Gujarat Titans. The one-time winners have already traded Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians and are in a dire need of a middle-order batter. 

Singh bats at 150+ strike-rate and him batting at No. 4, can solve Titans' middle-order woes. Further, the Titans are also struggling with their spinners as Rashid Khan is struggling with his form.

Amid Rashid's dip in form, Singh can also contribute with the ball and be the important third spinner for Titans alongside Rashid and Sai Kishore.

2. Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders have to work the most during the auction as the three-time winners have nearly released most of their team. They are without openers and also need to bring in players to fill in the middle-order.

Virandeep Singh can be one great prospect for the Knight Riders who can also bowl spin and pair up with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, which can actually free up a space in the bowling section to pick a seamer at the auction. 

3. Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals are also looking for a spinner during the auction and a top-order batter. If the inaugural champions rope in Virandeep Singh, then too can save a position for another player as Singh can perform a dual role that too at the top of the order.

Rajasthan, although have their top four set, but Singh can be flexible in his batting order and can be the perfect solution to Royals' middle-order woes. 

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