A promising wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand, Kumar Kushagra was part of India’s runners-up campaign in the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2020. He first made headlines in his maiden Ranji Trophy season, smashing 266 off 269 balls against Nagaland in the pre-quarterfinal, announcing himself as a player of serious potential. Kushagra continued to impress in domestic white-ball cricket as well. In the 2023 Deodhar Trophy, he scored 227 runs at an average of 56.75 and a strike rate of 109.13 while batting at number six or seven. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy after that, Kushagra struck an unbeaten 67 off 36 balls in a steep chase of 356 against Maharashtra. Those performances earned him a lucrative INR 7.20 Crore deal with Delhi Capitals for TATA IPL 2024. Gujarat Titans secured him for INR 65 lakh the following season. Although he didn’t feature in 2025, he was retained for IPL 2026 as a developing wicketkeeper-batter option.