Not long ago, it was Vignesh Puthur who made his debut for MI in the IPL and immediately made headlines by dismissing big CSK names. Now, another MI youngster is making an impressive impact—23-year-old Punjab pacer Ashwani Kumar.
Playing his debut IPL game against Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede Stadium, the left-arm fast bowler made an immediate statement by dismissing KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane on the very first delivery of his IPL career. And he didn’t stop there! After removing the skipper, he went on to dismiss Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, and Manish Pandey, delivering a complete bowling performance. He totally dismantled KKR’s batting lineup and became one of the key reasons behind MI’s success with the ball today, as the team bowled out the defending champions for just 116 runs.
Ashwani was bought by Mumbai Indians for INR 30 lakh in the 2025 mega auction. He was previously part of the Punjab Kings squad but did not get a playing opportunity last season. However, he is now delivering an incredible performance.
How did he get into the MI camp? How did he catch the attention of MI scouts? Let’s take a look.
Who is Ashwani Kumar
Ashwani made his debut for Punjab in the 2022 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but has played only four matches so far, picking up three wickets at an economy rate of 8.50.
What gave Ashwani a lift was his stellar performances in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament, where he registered his best bowling figures of 4/36 while playing for BLV Blasters. His impressive performances caught the attention of scouts, leading to his selection.
This emerging bowler has also featured in two first-class and four List A matches for Punjab. Since these are still his developing years, it will be interesting to see how he makes an impact in the upcoming games.
Players who took a wicket on their first ball in IPL debut for Mumbai Indians
| Player | Opponent | Year | Batter Dismissed |
| Ali Murtaza | RR | 2010 | Naman Ojha |
| Alzarri Joseph | SRH | 2019 | David Warner |
| Dewald Brevis | RCB | 2022 | Virat Kohli |
| Ashwani Kumar | KKR | 2025 | Ajinkya Rahane |
List of bowlers who took a wicket with the very first ball they bowled
| Bowler | Date | Player Out | Batting Team | Bowling Team |
| I Sharma | 2008-04-18 | R Dravid | RCB | KKR |
| S Vidyut | 2008-05-04 | SA Asnodkar | RR | CSK |
| DB Ravi Teja | 2008-05-25 | Misbah-ul-Haq | RCB | DC |
| KP Pietersen | 2009-04-20 | PA Patel | CSK | RCB |
| SM Harwood | 2009-05-02 | AA Bilakhia | DC | RR |
| A Singh | 2009-05-05 | S Sohal | PBKS | RR |
| CK Langeveldt | 2009-05-20 | RJ Quiney | RR | KKR |
| AG Murtaza | 2010-03-13 | NV Ojha | RR | MI |
| TP Sudhindra | 2012-04-07 | F du Plessis | CSK | DC |
| GH Vihari | 2013-04-07 | CH Gayle | RCB | SRH |
| AC Gilchrist | 2013-05-18 | Harbhajan Singh | MI | PBKS |
| AS Joseph | 2019-04-06 | DA Warner | SRH | MI |
| D Brevis | 2022-04-09 | V Kohli | RCB | MI |
| M Pathirana | 2022-05-15 | Shubman Gill | GT | CSK |
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