Ashwani Kumar couldn’t have asked for a memorable debut on Monday as the Mumbai Indians pacer dismissed Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane on the first ball of his Indian Premier League (IPL) career at the Wankhede Stadium. The left-arm pacer could have got another, had Mitchell Santner held on to the tough chance from Venkatesh Iyer.
In the process, Ashwani Kumar became the second youngster to be handed Mumbai Indians’ debut cap in three matches they have played so far after Kerala spinner Vignesh Puthur and Andhra Pradesh’s Satyanarayana Raju.
Meanwhile, Ashwani Kumar should thank Tilak Varma for his first IPL wicket, as the India batter juggled a few times before holding on to the ball on the boundary.
Ashwani Kumar – All you need to know
Born in Jhanjeri, Mohali, Ashwani Kumar is a left-arm pacer who grabbed the eyeballs in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament last year where he impressed everyone with his deceptive bouncer and pace variations. Ashwani Kumar also had a very good wide yorker in his arsenal and was bought by the five-time champions for ₹30 lakh.
Making his debut for the senior Punjab side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022, Ashwani Kumar played just four games with three wickets to his name at an economy of 8.50. He has also played two First-Class and four List A games for Punjab.
MI vs KKR playing XIs
Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock(w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
