IPL 2025: Meet Ashwani Kumar who shone on MI debut
What's the story
Left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar made his Indian Premier League debut on March 31, 2025, for Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders.
A resident of Jhanjeri village near Chandigarh, Ashwani helped his team clinch victory by taking four wickets. He was adjudged the Player of the Match.
Although Ashwani hasn't been exposed much in domestic cricket, his brilliant performance for MI was a career-defining moment.
Have a look at his journey.
Career trajectory
Ashwani's journey from Punjab to IPL stardom
Ashwani, who had represented Punjab in several domestic tournaments, was seen as a backup pacer.
His knack of bowling wide yorkers consistently impressed Mumbai Indians's scouts during last year's Sher-E-Punjab Trophy.
Although he was picked at his base price (₹30 lakh) during the IPL mega auction last year, his debut performance against KKR showed his potential and skill on a bigger platform.
Match highlights
A dream start for Mumbai Indians
In his debut match, Ashwani sent KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane back with his very first delivery, setting the tone for a stellar performance.
He further helped MI's cause by dismissing Rinku Singh and Manish Pandey, both in his second spell.
His last wicket of the night was Andre Russell, which he got with a full ball that hit the stumps.
This brilliant display helped MI restrict KKR to just 116 runs. MI later won by eight wickets.
Personal insights
Ashwani's humble beginnings and future aspirations
Ashwani's journey from a small-town player to an IPL star is nothing short of inspiring.
He shared his simple pre-match routine, saying, "I just had a banana because there was pressure, so was not feeling very hungry."
Despite the pressure of his debut match, he stayed grounded.
His teammate Ramandeep Singh hoped to encounter him again in the coming IPL seasons.
Information
A look at his stats so far
As of now, Ashwani has played two First-Class, four List A, and five T20 matches. His total tally includes 12 wickets. As per ESPNcricinfo, Ashwani attended the trials at both MI and Chennai Super Kings before the IPL 2025 auction.
Record
A massive record for Ashwani
As per Cricbuzz, Ashwani became the first Indian to take at least four wickets on their IPL debut.
The overall best figures in this regard belong to Alzarri Joseph, who took six wickets for 12 runs in 2019 season against Sunrisers Hyderabad for MI.
Andrew Tye (4/5/17 vs RPSG in 2017) and Kevon Cooper (4/26 vs KXIP in 2012) are the only other bowlers with better debut figures than Ashwani.