LUCKNOW, Aug. 3 -- Leg spinner Vipraj Nigam's rise has been an interesting story in domestic cricket, especially for fans in Uttar Pradesh. The leg-spinner from Barabanki has gone from local age-group cricket to the India A setup. He has been called up as net bowler for India's Sri Lanka Test series, starting on August 15.

One of the main reasons for his call up as a support bowler is his recent success in Sri Lanka for India A during the two four-day matches, where he finished with seven wickets. On that tour, he showed promise and responsibility, including a useful 51 off 49 balls against Sri Lanka A team in a tense match in Dambulla.

Vipraj's multi-tasking could serve him well. He can bat lower in the order, bowl leg-spin, and adapt ...