Zeeshan Ansari is a Lucknow leg-spinner whose career moved from a difficult domestic wait to the IPL and India A. His right-arm leg-break googly bowling earned him a Sunrisers Hyderabad place in 2025 and a longer look at the highest levels of Indian cricket.
Know the player
Zeeshan Ansari at a glance
- Date of birth
- 16 December 1999
- Age
- 26 years
- Birthplace
- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
- Playing role
- Bowler
- Batting style
- Right-hand bat
- Bowling style
- Right-arm leg-break googly
- Domestic team
- Uttar Pradesh
- Current IPL team
- Delhi Capitals
- International pathway
- India Under-19 and India A
Profile checked on 14 October 2026. Age is calculated from the date of birth.
Where it began
Childhood and family background
Zeeshan started playing cricket at four or five on the streets around his home in Lucknow. He was drawn to bowling before batting. His father, Mohammad Naeem Ansari, worked as a tailor and initially worried that cricket was taking his son away from practical work.
In the late 2000s, the family enrolled four children at a Government Sports Academy near their home. Coach Gopal Singh noticed that Zeeshan was trying to bowl leg-spin from the beginning. His training was demanding: he bowled for long stretches at the academy and continued working with his uncle Gayas Ansari in the lane outside the family home.
The long route
Uttar Pradesh and India Under-19
In 2014, after strong club and district performances, Zeeshan missed selection for Uttar Pradesh’s Under-16 side but entered the Under-19 and Under-23 groups in the same season. At the 2014–15 Cooch Behar Trophy, he took 40 wickets, the highest tally in that competition for the season. He also claimed 18 wickets in the Colonel CK Nayudu Under-23 tournament.
Those performances took him to India’s 2016 Under-19 World Cup squad. He played two matches in a group that included Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan. For Uttar Pradesh, he took 30 wickets in the 2016–17 CK Nayudu Trophy before entering the Ranji Trophy setup.
His senior opportunities then came slowly. He made his Ranji Trophy debut under captain Suresh Raina and returned twin three-wicket hauls, but he did not remain in the next playing XI. ESPNcricinfo reported that he had played five first-class matches for 17 wickets by 2025. The wait tested him, but he kept training and also played in corporate, club and local cricket.
A late breakthrough
From the UP Premier League to the IPL
The turning point came in the 2024 UP Premier League, the 2024 UP T20 League season. Playing for Meerut Mavericks, Zeeshan took 24 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 7.60. His control and googly made him a difficult bowler to attack, including in the closing overs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for ₹40 lakh at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He had played only one T20 for Uttar Pradesh before that deal. On 30 March 2025, he made his IPL debut against Delhi Capitals and took 3 for 42. His wickets were Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul.
ESPNcricinfo’s player profile records six wickets in ten IPL 2025 matches at an economy rate of 9.84 and recorded Sunrisers Hyderabad as his team for the 2026 season. On 14 October 2026, the IPL announced that he moved from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Delhi Capitals at his existing ₹40-lakh fee.
How he bowls
Playing style and strengths
Zeeshan is a right-arm leg-spinner who relies on revs, changes of pace and the googly. His best work often comes when he can attack a batter’s uncertainty: the stock leg-break turns one way, while the googly arrives on a different line.
In an August 2026 interview with the Times of India, he said IPL and India A exposure had taught him to bowl a little slower and put more revs on the ball. He also stressed repetition, especially when refining googly variations. That gives his bowling a clear theme: deception built through practice rather than a search for raw speed.
The journey in order
Career timeline
- 2014–15Breakthrough in youth cricketTook 40 wickets in the Cooch Behar Trophy for Uttar Pradesh.
- 2016India Under-19 World Cup squadJoined India’s squad and played two matches.
- 2016–17CK Nayudu impactTook 30 wickets for Uttar Pradesh.
- January 2020Last Ranji Trophy match before a long red-ball gapPlayed for Uttar Pradesh against Tamil Nadu.
- 2023Club cricket continuesPlayed in the Kolkata club circuit while seeking regular opportunities.
- 2024UP Premier League revivalWon the 2024 UP T20 League season’s Purple Cap with 24 wickets for Meerut Mavericks.
- 30 March 2025IPL debutReturned 3 for 42 for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Delhi Capitals.
- 2026India A pathway and IPL tradeReceived an India A call-up for the Sri Lanka tour; Sunrisers Hyderabad was his IPL 2026 season team, before the 14 October trade moved him to Delhi Capitals.
Standout chapters
Key career markers
His 2014–15 tally for Uttar Pradesh, the highest in that competition.
Taken in 12 matches for Meerut Mavericks in the 2024 league season.
His return against Delhi Capitals on 30 March 2025.
Recorded in ten matches, according to his ESPNcricinfo profile.
Quick answers
Zeeshan Ansari biography FAQs
How old is Zeeshan Ansari?
He is 26 years old as of 14 October 2026. He was born on 16 December 1999.
Where was Zeeshan Ansari born?
He was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
What is Zeeshan Ansari’s bowling style?
He is a right-arm leg-break googly bowler.
When did Zeeshan Ansari make his IPL debut?
He debuted for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Delhi Capitals on 30 March 2025 and took 3 for 42.
Which team did Zeeshan Ansari play for in the IPL 2026 season?
He played the IPL 2026 season for Sunrisers Hyderabad. On 14 October 2026, the IPL announced his move to Delhi Capitals at his existing fee.
Did Zeeshan Ansari play for India?
He was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup squad in 2016 and received an India A call-up for the 2026 Sri Lanka tour.
