Ishan Sood is the 17-year-old pace bowler who announced himself at the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026 with a Player of the Match spell against Nepal Under-19 — 3 for 18 with four maidens — and then took four wickets against the UAE to help India reach the semi-finals. He is a tall new-ball bowler from Punjab who bats right-handed, and he took the new ball for India in all three group matches in Oman. This profile covers his age, his role, his domestic record and his U19 Asia Cup 2026 performances.
Who Is Ishan Sood?
Ishan Sood’s full name is Ishan Dheeraj Sood. He was born on 20 March 2009 in Chandigarh and plays age-group cricket for Punjab. He is 17 years old. He is a right-handed batter and a right-arm pace bowler who regularly takes the new ball.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ishan Dheeraj Sood |
| Date of birth | 20 March 2009 |
| Age | 17 years old (as of November 2026) |
| Birthplace | Chandigarh |
| Batting style | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Role | Bowler (new-ball pace bowler) |
| Domestic team | Punjab |
Bowler, Not Wicketkeeper: Clearing Up His Role
Some profile pages on the internet list Ishan Sood as a wicketkeeper-batter. That label is wrong, and the match evidence proves it. The BCCI’s squad announcement for the U19 Asia Cup on 30 October 2026 names Anvay Dravid and Rajat Baghel as the team’s wicketkeepers — Sood carries no wicketkeeper tag. In all three of India’s group matches in Oman, Anvay Dravid kept wicket, and Sood bowled: the scorecards show Dravid with the wicketkeeper’s mark and Sood in the bowling figures every time. India.com describes him plainly as a “right-arm medium-fast bowler” who is “primarily part of the team as a bowler”, and Cricbuzz’s own ball-by-ball commentary calls him a “tall Punjab seamer” bowling “seam bowling” — even though Cricbuzz’s profile page still carries the wrong wicketkeeper label. This profile describes him as what the matches show: a pace bowler who bats right-handed.
How He Earned His India Under-19 Place
Sood’s route to the India Under-19 squad runs through the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, India’s Under-19 one-day tournament — but two different editions of that tournament are often mixed up in reports, so they are kept separate here.
In the 2025-26 edition, he was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets in eight matches and was named Player of the Tournament. In the final against Hyderabad on 1 November 2025, defending just 111, he took 5 for 18 — including Aaron George first ball — but Punjab still lost by five wickets.
In the October 2026 edition, Punjab won the trophy for the first time in 13 years, beating Mumbai by seven wickets in the final in Indore. Sood took 4 for 32 in 10 overs in that final and finished the tournament with 13 wickets in eight matches. That edition, immediately before the Asia Cup squad was announced on 30 October 2026, is the one that earned him his place. He had also been named in India’s Under-19 one-day squad for the Sri Lanka tour in July 2026.
U19 Asia Cup 2026: Eight Wickets in Three Matches
At the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026 in Oman, Sood bowled in all three of India’s Group A matches and finished the group stage with eight wickets — the most by any India bowler in the group.
| Match | Date | Sood’s bowling | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| India U19 vs Nepal U19 | 6 November 2026 | 10 overs, 4 maidens, 18 runs, 3 wickets | India won by 10 wickets |
| India U19 vs Pakistan U19 | 8 November 2026 | 9 overs, 2 maidens, 36 runs, 1 wicket | Pakistan won by 3 wickets |
| India U19 vs UAE U19 | 10 November 2026 | 7 overs, 37 runs, 4 wickets | India won by 70 runs |
The Nepal match was his breakthrough. He took the new ball and removed Nepal’s top three — Prashiddha Jaishi, Suryanshu Koirala and Nischal Chhetri — as Nepal collapsed to 128 all out. His figures of 3 for 18, with four maidens in ten overs at an economy of 1.80, earned him the Player of the Match award. Cricbuzz’s commentary noted that he beat the bat 26 times. India chased the target without losing a wicket, with Aaryavir Sehwag making 70 not out.
Against Pakistan he was less successful — one wicket for 36 runs, and he made 2 not out with the bat — as Pakistan won by three wickets. Against the UAE, in the winner-takes-all decider, he returned with 4 for 37, including the wickets of Ahmed Khudadad (74) and Noorullah Ayobi (39), as the UAE were bowled out for 239 and India won by 70 runs to reach the semi-finals.
What Is Next for Ishan Sood?
India face Afghanistan in the semi-final of the U19 Asia Cup on Thursday, 12 November 2026, and Sood’s new-ball spells will be central to India’s plans again. At 17, he is one of the youngest players in the squad, and a strong semi-final would cap a tournament in which he has already taken eight wickets at an average of just over 11. The next steps after Oman are the domestic season with Punjab and the long road toward first-class cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ishan Sood
How old is Ishan Sood?
Ishan Sood is 17 years old. He was born on 20 March 2009 in Chandigarh.
Is Ishan Sood a wicketkeeper?
No. Some profile pages wrongly list him as a wicketkeeper-batter, but the BCCI names Anvay Dravid and Rajat Baghel as the team’s wicketkeepers, and in every Asia Cup match Dravid kept wicket while Sood bowled. Sood is a right-arm pace bowler who bats right-handed.
What are Ishan Sood’s best figures?
His best figures at the U19 Asia Cup 2026 are 4 for 37 against UAE Under-19 on 10 November 2026. His most economical spell was 3 for 18 with four maidens against Nepal Under-19 on 6 November, which won him the Player of the Match award. In domestic cricket, he took 5 for 18 in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy final in November 2025.
How many wickets did Ishan Sood take in the U19 Asia Cup 2026 group stage?
He took eight wickets in three matches: three against Nepal, one against Pakistan and four against the UAE, conceding 91 runs in 26 overs with six maidens.
Is Ishan Sood related to Ishan Kishan?
No. Ishan Sood and Ishan Kishan are two different players. Kishan is the 28-year-old India wicketkeeper-batter; Sood is the 17-year-old Punjab pace bowler.
Conclusion
Ishan Sood’s U19 Asia Cup has been a coming-of-age tournament: a Player of the Match spell against Nepal, four wickets in the decider against the UAE, and eight wickets in the group stage at an average of just over 11. He is a new-ball bowler first and foremost — whatever some profile pages say — and at 17 he has time on his side. The semi-final against Afghanistan on 12 November is his next stage.
Source: Ishan Sood on Cricbuzz: https://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/1464989/ishan-dheeraj-sood
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