| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 18 June 1994 Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman, wicket-keeper | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| ODI debut (cap 38) | 10 February 2025 v Namibia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 27 May 2025 v United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 41) | 14 December 2024 v Qatar | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 30 September 2025 v Kuwait | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 3 October 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Vinayak Shukla (born 18 June 1994) is an Indian-born cricketer who plays for the Oman national cricket team as a right-handed wicket-keeper–batsman[1] and currently serves as the vice-captain of the team. He made his debut for the Omani national side at the 2024 Men's Gulf T20I Championship tournament.
Early life[edit | edit source]
Shukla was born on 18 June 1994 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He picked up cricket in his childhood, and in the later years he got into Club cricket.[2] During his club career, he represented Private Sports Enterprises and played against Kuldeep Yadav regularly.[3]
Back in India, he was also part of Kolkata Knight Riders' net sessions, where got guidance from the likes of Dinesh Karthik.[4]
International career[edit | edit source]
Shukla moved to Oman in 2021 in search of better opportunities, following suggestions from one of his coaches. He then took up a Data operator job at National Metal Cans in Seeb to support his daily expenses.[3]
In December 2024, he was named in Oman's squad for the 2024 Men's Gulf T20I Championship.[5] He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut in the team's first match against Qatar.[6] He ended up being third-highest run scorer for Oman in the tournament, scoring 134 runs in 5 matches including a half-century in their last match.[7]
He made his One Day International (ODI) debut for Oman in February 2025 against Namibia during the ninth round of the 2024–2026 Cricket World Cup League 2.[8] In the match, he excelled with his wicket-keeping skills as he took three catches behind the wicket.[9]
In September 2025, Shukla was named in Oman's squad for their debut appearance at the 2025 Asia Cup.[10] In December 2025, he was named as the team's vice-captain for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup.[11]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Vinayak Shukla". Cricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ↑ "Meet Vinayak Shukla - Kuldeep Yadav's childhood friend from Kanpur, who left Indian cricket in 2021 to chase Oman dream". Mint. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "From Kanpur to Oman: Vinayak Shukla — Data operator, idolises 'guru' MS Dhoni, and Kuldeep Yadav's childhood friend". Times Of India. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ↑ "Oman Star, Who Left Indian Cricket In 2021, Set To Face Childhood Friend Kuldeep Yadav". NDTV Sports. 19 September 2025. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ↑ "Oman set to defend Gulf Cup T20 title in Dubai". Times of Oman. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ↑ "Oman vs Qatar, 4th Match at Dubai, Gulf T20I Championship". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ↑ "Most runs in Gulf T20I Championship, 2024/25". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ↑ @TheOmanCricket (4 February 2025). "🚨 Announcement 🚨" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Oman vs Namibia, 50th Match at Al Amarat, WCL 2, Feb 10 2025 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ↑ "Oman ready to make an impact in Asia Cup". Muscat Daily. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ↑ "Oman name squad for ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026". ICC. 30 December 2025. Retrieved 30 December 2025.