IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar? The 23-year-old who took four wickets on debut for Mumbai Indians against KKR? – Sportstar

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Published : Mar 31, 2025 19:15 IST , CHENNAI – 2 MINS READ
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Ashwani Kumar of Mumbai Indians in action against Kolkata Knight Riders. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI/The Hindu
For the second time in three games of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Mumbai Indians’ highly-rated talent scouting network has earned a pat on the back. If it was leggie Vignesh Puthur who made a memorable debut in MI’s season-opener in Chennai last week, it was the turn of left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar to hog the limelight on Monday during his team’s maiden home appearance.
Despite having featured in two Ranji Trophy (last in 2022), three Vijay Hazare Trophy (last in 2022) and four Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games (all in 2024) for Punjab, Ashwani had not picked more than three wickets in either format.
Come Monday, he picked four, including some of the biggest names in IPL, on his IPL debut only. The left-arm pacer emerged as the wrecker-in-chief as Mumbai Indians’ four-pronged pace pack broke the back of the Kolkata Knight Riders to bundle the defending champion out for a paltry 116.
Ashwani, 23, had been all but reduced to a back-up pacer for Punjab when the MI scouts spotted his accuracy and ability to bowl wide yorkers consistently during the Sher-E-Punjab Trophy last year.
ALSO READ | Ashwani Kumar records best spell on IPL debut by an Indian bowler
Not too many would have noticed when the MI owners raised the paddle for him in the IPL Auction in Jeddah last year.
All it took him was one ball on Monday to steal the headlines. With Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar having accounted for both the KKR openers in their respective first overs, the Knight Riders’ hopes relied on captain Ajinkya Rahane.
But the first ball of the four overs – bowled by Ashwani – pitched wide outside off stump, Rahane sliced it and Tilak Varma held on to the top-edge on the second attempt.
Mitchell Santner missed a difficult chance to dismiss Venkatesh Iyer in the same over, but when Ashwani was reintroduced into the attack, he ended the hopes of a KKR comeback with a double strike in the 11th over.
Ashwani saw the back of Rinku Singh (sliced to Nanam Dhir at deep point) and Impact Player Manish Pandey (bowled off the pads with one that left Manish stranded at the crease).
The dream debut got just better in his next over, with Andre Russell missing a full ball altogether to see his woodwork being disturbed.
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