24-year-old Vicky Ostwal, who is learning from Virat Kohli, receives the red ball

“Come on Vicky come on Vicky!”

The chant rang out from the Maharashtra dugout as Vicky Ostwal ran out against Railways in their Ranji Trophy season opener at Palam in Delhi on a hot afternoon. There was no shortage of encouragement, but the left-handed spinner was hardly looking for a way out. He wanted the ball and he wanted another spell in the middle.

Vicky Ostwal put in the hard yards in the very first innings, bowled 24.2 overs and took two wickets. He also scored a valuable 50 while batting with the tail to help Maharashtra reach 333 after Ankit Bawne’s hundred. With a lead of 110 runs, the visitors gave their bowlers some room to bat on a pitch that was becoming increasingly difficult to bat on.

In the second innings on Day 4, stand-in skipper Prithvi Shaw opted for a three-turn attack and Ostwal responded with 28 overs and five wickets as Railways were bowled out for 120. It was his third five-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy and a performance that underlined just how much Maharashtra can expect from him.

It was a considerable workload for the 24-year-old, who was still establishing himself in senior domestic cricket. However, Ostwal seemed happy to accept it.

“I was really happy to contribute to the team’s victory with both bat and ball,” he told reporters after Maharashtra’s victory with a beaming smile on his face.

“When you win an away game, especially on a ground like this, it’s a good start to the season.

The wickets made for a memorable afternoon, but the 50 was just as important. Ostwal has spent the last few years working on his bat, determined to be more than a left-armer who could put up a few runs in the order. He stood up against Railways at a crucial stage and helped Maharashtra build a unit that gave their bowlers the cushion they needed.

“I’ve worked a lot on my bat in the last two or three years. I’ve also scored in the under-23s and local leagues,” he said.

“Last year I contributed with the bat, putting together partnerships with top-order batsmen and scoring 30-odd runs lower down the order. But to get 50 at a crucial stage in the first innings was a big confidence booster.”

LOVE OF RED-BALL CRICKET

Ostwal does not lack ambition. He considers himself a “pure all-rounder” and points to hundreds in the Maharashtra Premier League and the Cooch Behar Trophy as proof of what he can do with the bat. However, when asked what he enjoys most about cricket, his answer comes back to the format that requires the most patience.

“I think it’s the best format and that’s the format I like to play,” he said of red-ball cricket. “It tests your character, your patience, your skills and how mentally tough you are. You have to put in the hard yards day in and day out, especially when you’re playing in this heat. There’s nothing easy about this game.” Vicky Ostwal in training. (Photo: Instagram)

For someone who has experienced the magic of the Indian Premier League and spent time around the national team set-up, there is something remarkable about the simplicity of this answer. Ostwal is in no rush to turn every opportunity into a statement about what he wants to become. He is enjoying the work ahead of him.

His home record suggests the hard work is starting to pay off. Ostwal took 69 wickets in the 2024-25 CK Nayudu Trophy, a multi-day under-23 competition, before breaking through in the Ranji Trophy last season with 23 wickets in seven matches. His opportunities at senior level had previously been limited, making just three appearances in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.

The jump from age-group cricket to the senior game is rarely straightforward, especially for a spinner who has to learn to mix long spells, read shots and adapt to different surfaces. Ostwal’s recent progress has been built on the opportunity to do just that. The Railways match was another reminder that his value to Maharashtra may not be limited to his primary skills.

His approach to difficult days is similarly uncomplicated. When asked about his frustrations when he gets out early or goes wicketless, Ostwal dismissed the idea that every performance has to be categorized as good or bad.

“What exactly is a bad day for you?” was asked.

“For me, it’s about being clear about my plans and trying to execute them. If you’re batting and you’re promoted and the situation is tricky, your job is to stay there with the senior player. If you play a rash shot, it makes you angry. As a bowler, if you have a plan and you don’t stick to it, that’s something a cricketer doesn’t want,” he said.

He added: “If at the end of the day I feel like I’ve done my plans, then I don’t feel like it’s a bad day. It probably just wasn’t my day. Carrying out the plans and doing it for the team is more important.”

LEARNING FROM VIRAT KOHLI

There is a practical edge to this philosophy which was perhaps enhanced by the opportunities he got outside Maharashtra. He was signed by Delhi Capitals earlier in his career and joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the 2026 IPL season. An IPL debut has so far eluded him, but his time around senior players has offered lessons that go beyond the immediate demands of T20 cricket.

Facing Virat Kohli for the first time, Ostwal was nervous. That feeling didn’t last long once they started talking about cricket. After playing Kohli in the nets, he asked the former Indian captain what he thought of his bowling and what he could have done differently.

“He gives 100 percent at the nets and never takes it lightly,” Ostwal said. “If you manage to beat him or challenge him, you feel like you’ve done a good job. Photo: Instagram

Kohli’s work ethic left an equally lasting impression. “He told me that if your work ethic is right and you do your routine every day without missing a beat, the talent follows or whatever,” Ostwal said. “Seeing him work day in and day out with the exact same dedication, even though he’s at the top level, was a huge inspiration and life lesson for me.”

Ostwal also picked Krunal Pandya’s brain, especially when it comes to the tactical demands of white-ball cricket. As a left-arm spinner, he wanted to understand how to stay ahead of the batsmen in a format where there is little margin for error and runs come fast. The question, he said, was how to squeeze even one dot ball into each one.

These conversations helped him think differently about the game. But the IPL experience didn’t distract him from the busy wait to return to domestic cricket. If anything, it boosted his confidence.

The same was true of his post as a bowler ahead of the 2026 Asian Games. A phone call from the BCCI about his visa, about two weeks before the tour, alerted him to the opportunity. He was delighted to be around the Indian team and work with coaches VVS Laxman and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who knew him from his under-19 days and his time at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. Photo: Instagram

The exposure has been valuable, but Ostwal is careful not to mistake being near the top level for having arrived there. His immediate priorities remain closer to home, with Maharashtra.

“Firstly, home comes first and my state comes first because Maharashtra has given me everything,” he said.

“Winning the Ranji Trophy is my first goal. After that, the next steps are to win the IPL and play for the Indian team.”

There is a story behind patience. Ostwal grew up in Lonavala and his father traveled with him to Pune every day for four years to train at the academy. His father, a civilian contractor before he retired, started making these trips when Vicky was seven or eight years old. Meanwhile, his mother helped manage the early mornings, meals and daily demands of a young cricketer’s routine.

“My parents were extremely supportive. They never told me to keep cricket as a second option,” Ostwal said. “Nobody grows without a struggle, and I deeply appreciate the sacrifices my mom and dad made.”

The sacrifices have brought him to the point where the opportunities take on meaning. He was part of the Under-19 team that won the World Cup, spent time in the IPL dressing room and trained around the Indian team. Still, the next step is not something he wants to force. It has to come because of the work he is doing for Maharashtra.

For now, that means he turns up, bowls, improves his batting and learns from every game. He did all that in a single match against Railways and was rewarded with a five-wicket haul.

He glimpsed the world beyond domestic cricket. But Ostwal is in no rush to get there. For now, he’s happy to keep showing up, bowling and seeing how far the hard yards can take him.

– The end