KC Cariappa

K.C. Cariappa, born on April 13, 1994, is an Indian cricketer representing Mizoram in domestic cricket. Known for his unique bowling style, he is often called a "mystery spinner." His primary skill is leg spin, but what sets him apart is his wide range of variations.

Cariappa’s main delivery is the leg break, but he also has several other tricks up his sleeve, including the googly, the quicker ball, the carrom ball, and the off break. One of the remarkable things about his bowling is his ability to switch between these variations without altering his grip, making him unpredictable and challenging for batsmen to face.

He played in the IPL until 2019 and was in the RR squad in the 2023 IPL, Cariappa's unconventional spin bowling has caught the attention of cricket fans and professionals alike, as he continues to contribute to his team with his versatile bowling skills.

KC Cariappa Along the Years

KC Cariappa Career

Cariappa was noticed in the 2014 Karnataka Premier League where he caught everyone's attention as the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament. Due to his performance, Kolkata Knight Riders, one of the most successful teams in IPL, signed him in their team for the 2015 IPL for Rs 2.4 crore.

In the 2015 IPL, Kariyappa played his first IPL match for Kolkata Knight Riders and in his very first match, he took the wicket of AB de Villiers and led his team to victory. Despite this, he got the opportunity to play only one match in the 2015 IPL, and in 2016, KKR released him.

In the 2016 IPL, Cariappa was included in Kings XI Punjab's team for Rs 80 lakh and Cariappa participated in the IPL for Punjab for the next 2 years. In 2019, Cariappa once again joined Kolkata Knight Riders, but after just one year, Kolkata dropped him from the team. In 2021, Cariappa was included in Rajasthan Royals' team, but he did not play a single IPL match after 2019. From 2021 to 2023, Cariappa was present in the Rajasthan Royals team but he did not get a chance to play a single match.

In 2021, Kariappa made his List A debut at the domestic level for Karnataka and in 2024, he wrote a new chapter in his domestic cricket career by making his Ranji Trophy debut.

KC Kariappa Domestic Career 

Kariappa's domestic cricket career has been quite short. He made his IPL debut in 2015 itself, but he had to wait for the next 6 years to play his first match in domestic cricket. In 2021, Kariappa made his domestic cricket debut for Karnataka in a List A match against Puducherry on 8 December 2021. However, his performance was not very special in the first match and he has played 13 matches in List A matches so far, in which he has only 12 wickets to his name.

Along with this, in 2024, he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mizoram against Sikkim on January 5. In the first innings of his first Ranji Trophy match, KC Cariappa impressed everyone by taking six wickets. Along with this, he took 39 wickets in six matches during the entire tournament, making him the third-highest wicket-taker in the 2024 season.

KC Kariappa IPL Career

In 2014, Cariappa gained recognition while playing for Karnataka's Under-19 team and the Bijapur Bulls in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL). His standout performance as the third-highest wicket-taker in the KPL drew the attention of IPL scouts. Although he was included in Karnataka's 30-man probable squad for the Ranji Trophy, he didn’t make the final team. However, in September 2014, Cariappa was invited to a Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) trial during a training camp in Hyderabad before the 2014 Champions League Twenty20. His bowling skills surprised KKR captain Gautam Gambhir and left a strong impression on the team’s management.

As a result, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) purchased him for ₹24 million (US$290,000) in the IPL auction, despite him having no top-level cricket experience. The decision surprised many, but KKR saw potential in his unique bowling style. Venky Mysore, KKR's CEO, later explained that the feedback from their top players, including legendary cricketer Jacques Kallis, had played a key role in their choice. Kallis and others found Cariappa's bowling to be unusual and impressive, which convinced KKR to take a chance on the young talent.

Cariappa started his IPL career for Kolkata Knight Riders on April 11, 2015, against Royal Challengers Bangalore where he took the wicket of AB de Villiers by giving 28 runs in just two overs. He managed to play only one match in the 2015 season. After this, Kolkata Knight Riders released Cariappa in 2016. He joined Punjab in 2016 where he played five matches and took three wickets. Next year, once again Kings XI Punjab allowed Cariappa to participate in four matches.

In the 2017 IPL, Cariappa took 4 wickets in 4 matches for Kings XI Punjab, A. D. Nath of Gujarat Lions was Kariappa's last IPL wicket. 

In 2019, once again Cariappa joined as a substitute and he bowled in a match but could not take any wickets. In the 2019 IPL, the match played against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 21 April 2019 at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium is the last IPL match of his career so far. In 2021, he joined the Rajasthan Royals team and remained till 2023, but he has not played a single IPL match for Rajasthan Royals till now.