Abishek Porel

Abishek Porel is a left-handed wicketkeeper batter from India. He began his professional career by representing Bengal at the junior level. Despite a prolific showing in the 2022 Cooch Behar Trophy, low performances in the Challenger Trophy meant he was not selected for the 2022 Men’s Under-19 World Cup held in the West Indies. However, he was called up mid-tournament as a backup for the players infected with COVID.

After returning from the World Cup, he was fast-tracked to the senior Bengal team, and he made his first-class debut against Baroda in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy season. Later in the year, he made his List A debut for Bengal against Puducherry in the 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In October 2022, Porel made his T20 debut against Odisha in the 2022 Syded Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Before the 2023 Indian Premier League season, the Delhi franchise was in search of a replacement for the injured Rishabh Pant. Abishek Porel was called up to the trials, where he showed glimpses of his talent and put on an impressive showing. As a result, the Delhi franchise signed him up for the 2023 Indian Premier League.

However, the 2024 IPL season served as his true breakout campaign. Utilised primarily as an Impact Player, Porel gained instant fame by smashing an unbeaten 32 off just 10 balls in the season opener against Punjab Kings. He finished the tournament as the franchise's fourth-highest run-scorer, amassing 327 runs at a strike rate of 159.51, highlighted by a maiden IPL fifty (65 off 36) against Rajasthan Royals.

The period between 2024 and early 2026 saw Porel reach new heights in domestic cricket. In the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he delivered a historic performance by striking an unbeaten 170 off 130 balls against Delhi, guiding Bengal to a dominant victory. His form remained prolific leading into the 2025-26 season, where he continued to anchor the Bengal batting line-up with a flamboyant century (106 off 84 balls) against Chandigarh and several rapid-fire fifties in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. These performances ensured his stock remained high as he prepared for the subsequent professional seasons.

In the 2025 IPL auction cycle, the Delhi Capitals reaffirmed their faith in his abilities by retaining him for ₹4 crore as an uncapped player. He justified this investment by scoring 301 runs in 13 matches during the 2025 season at a strike rate of approximately 147. Due to his versatility as a top-order batter and reliable wicketkeeper, he was once again retained by the Delhi franchise for the IPL 2026 season at the same price of ₹4 crore, taking his career IPL to new heights. During the 2026 domestic summer, he also featured prominently in the Bengal Pro T20 League for the Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers.

Porel's most emotional domestic performance arrived at the start of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season in October 2026. Returning to multi-day red-ball cricket for Bengal against Delhi at Kalyani, Porel delivered a monumental, high-pressure knock of 149 off 228 balls. Sharing a match-defining 199-run partnership with Sudip Kumar Gharami, Porel dropped to his knees in tears upon reaching his hundred - an emotional moment that marked his return to the field following off-field personal and legal challenges. His century set up Bengal's commanding first-innings total of 429 and paved the way for a decisive 9-wicket victory over Delhi, cementing his position as one of India's premier young multi-format wicketkeeper-batters.