Vicky Ostwal’s eyes transition from Lonavala to the spotlight in a variety of settings

By
Jay Rock
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During their journey to the Caribbean 2022 Under-19 World Cup championship, he was India’s leading wicket-taker. In the 2025 Maharashtra Premier League (MPL), he also demonstrated remarkable ball and bat skills. After three seasons with the Delhi Capitals (DC) as a reserve in the IPL, he is now getting ready to move up to the other forms. During the Buchi Babu tournament last month, Ankit Bawne, his captain for Maharashtra, presented him to reporters in Chennai as a “future star”. Learn more about Vicky Ostwal, a 23-year-old left-arm spinner.

Ostwal was drafted into Maharashtra’s Ranji Trophy team shortly after the team won the Under-19 World Cup in February 2022. However, he need additional time to develop and adjust to red-ball cricket specifically. Ostwal is now vying for a more consistent position this season after making sporadic appearances for Maharashtra in the past.

With 13 wickets in two games at an average of 17.23 and an economy rate of 2.64, Ostwal, who had previously emerged as the top wicket-taker in the Under-23 CK Nayudu tournament, also emerged as Maharashtra’s top wicket-taker in the preseason Buchi Babu competition. He attributes the connection between the Ranji Trophy and Under-19 cricket to the Under-23 competition.

“It’s always a process for a spinner to make a spot in the team,” Ostwal told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. “I’m still fighting for it. I’ve played five Ranji games on and off, but the CK Nayudu has been my core after that Under-19 World Cup. Whatever I play – CK Nayudu or Ranji – the aim is to make Maharashtra win. Playing for Maharashtra is a [matter of] prestige. The aim is always to win trophies for Maharashtra.”

 

Ostwal used to travel to Mumbai to train at the Vengsarkar Academy in Churchgate. He was from Lonavala, a hill station on the Mumbai-Pune route. However, he attempted to establish a career in Maharashtra after realizing that he was not allowed to compete in tournaments in Mumbai (only players who were born in the city could participate in MCA events). He once more made the long daily travel from Lonavala to Pune, where he enrolled in the Varroc Vengsarkar Academy, in packed trains.

“That journey is something special,” Ostwal recalled. “Because it showed me how passionate I was about cricket and how badly I wanted to play cricket. My dad used to support me during all these travels. When I look back at it, I feel very nice and special about it. The hard work is all paying off now.”

Similar to R Sai Kishore, Ostwal is a tall fingerspinner who, like his idol Ravindra Jadeja, keeps the stumps in play while singing. His ability to bowl for extended periods of time was demonstrated in 2022 when he wheeled away for 44 overs in his Ranji debut against Vidarbha in Sultanpur.

“As a spinner, bowling long spells is your job,” Ostwal said. “You have to hold one end tight, make things happen and make them [batters] play a rash shot. Every first-class spinner that has been successful in India holds one end up tightly and brings crucial wickets at crucial times. That’s what I want to do for Maharashtra as well.”

During his three IPL seasons, Ostwal did not play for DC, but he took use of the training sessions to pick the brains of Ricky Ponting and Axar Patel.

“The game sense improved after the IPL,” Ostwal said. “You can be a little bit ahead of the game and sometimes read the situations quite early and then get into the act earlier. That helps you be proactive.
“And bowling to Rishabh Pant was the most difficult thing as a left-arm spinner. Axar gave me tips on Test bowling and T20 bowling, which I’m able to implement. Ricky Ponting sir also helped me during my three years with Delhi Capitals. So, all in all, it was a good time there.”

Ostwal’s accurate bowling and pinch-hitting at the top of the order helped the Raigad Royals reach the final in the most recent MPL, solidifying his T20 credentials. Among bowlers who have bowled more than 30 overs during the season, he had the best economy rate of 7.09, taking nine wickets in 11 games.

Ostwal was upgraded as an opener halfway through the competition, and he responded by hitting 74 off 54 balls against Kolhapur Tuskers in the Eliminator. Ostwal hopes to develop into a legitimate all-around player in the future.

“I have worked a lot on my batting over the past few years because being a spinner doesn’t always do the job for your team,” he said. “If you can contribute 30-40 runs down the order, it’s always a great help for the team.

“About the T20 game [Eliminator], I think when my team wasn’t doing well up the order, I told my coach that I can go up the order and maybe smack a few and give the momentum to the team. I want to be an allrounder. Even in the CK Nayudu Trophy, I contributed with the bat, scoring hundreds at No. 6 or No. 7.”

Ostwal is now awaiting advancement after seeing success in cricket at the Under-19 and Under-23 levels.