'Ashwani Kumar quicker than people recognize': Ryan Rickelton praises youngster
What's the story
Mumbai Indians's new fast bowler, Ashwani Kumar, made headlines with his historic spell on his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut.
The left-arm seamer from Punjab picked four wickets for just 24 runs in three overs against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 31.
His brilliant show helped the Mumbai Indians clinch an eight-wicket victory at the Wankhede Stadium.
MI opener Ryan Rickelton praised the youngster post the win.
Endorsement
Rickelton praises Kumar's speed and skill
Ryan Rickelton, Kumar's teammate at Mumbai Indians, was quick to laud the young bowler.
"He's a lot quicker than I think people recognize at first," said Rickelton. "That's a great attribute he has and he can swing the new ball."
He further added that Kumar is "a great addition obviously to the group and the wicket can suit him."
Performance analysis
Rickelton highlights Kumar's effective execution
Further, Rickelton gave more details about Kumar's performance, saying the bowler executed his plans perfectly.
"I've played a few warm-up games with him," Rickelton said. "He's a really nice bowler. He can swing the new ball and he executed his plan really, really well."
Kumar sent KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane back with his very first delivery, setting the tone for a stellar performance. He later dismissed Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell.
Record
A massive record for Kumar
As per Cricbuzz, Kumar 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.