Darshan Nalkande is an Indian cricketer who plays primarily as a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He has represented Vidarbha in domestic cricket and has been associated with franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
| Full name | Darshan Nalkande |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Bowler (right-arm medium-fast) |
| Domestic team | Vidarbha |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
Nalkande emerged through age-group cricket in Vidarbha, a region in eastern Maharashtra whose cricketing affairs are administered by the Vidarbha Cricket Association based in Nagpur. He came to wider notice as a member of the India Under-19 squad that participated in the 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, a tournament won by India under the captaincy of Prithvi Shaw.
At the senior level, Nalkande has appeared in the major Indian domestic competitions for Vidarbha, including the Ranji Trophy (first-class), the Vijay Hazare Trophy (List A) and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (Twenty20). His role in the side has typically been that of a seam-bowling all-rounder, contributing with the new ball and lower-order batting.
In the Indian Premier League, he has been part of franchise squads as a domestic seam-bowling option. Vidarbha, his domestic side, won consecutive Ranji Trophy titles in 2017–18 and 2018–19, marking a significant period in the state association's history during which a generation of players including Nalkande progressed to the senior circuit.
Nalkande is described as a right-arm medium-fast bowler capable of bowling at the death in limited-overs cricket, and a useful lower-order hitter. He bats right-handed.
He represents the steady production of pace-bowling all-rounders from Vidarbha during the late 2010s, a phase in which the state moved from being a peripheral domestic side to a championship-winning unit. His selection for India Under-19 placed him within a cohort of young Indian cricketers who graduated from junior international cricket into the IPL and the domestic first-class system.