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Mumbai Indians’ (MI) left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar made a sensational debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL), claiming a wicket with his very first ball against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. The 23-year-old dismissed KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane in the fourth over, becoming the fourth MI bowler to achieve this feat.
The feeling of your first #TATAIPL wicket 😊
Ashwani Kumar with a dream start as he picks up Ajinkya Rahane ✨
#MI could not have asked for a better start 👌#KKR 41/4 after 6 overs.Updates ▶ https://t.co/iEwchzEpDk#MIvKKR pic.twitter.com/sPOTN5qpW2
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2025
Ashwani Joins Elite List of MI Debutants
Ashwani joins an exclusive list of MI bowlers who have taken a wicket with their first IPL delivery, following in the footsteps of Ali Murtaza, Alzarri Joseph, and Dewald Brevis. His breakthrough came thanks to a stunning effort by Tilak Varma, who initially fumbled the catch but quickly recovered to grab it one-handed at deep backward point.
A Rising Star from Mohali
Hailing from Mohali, Punjab, Ashwani Kumar has represented Punjab in first-class, List A, and T20 cricket. Before making his IPL debut, he had played only four senior T20 matches, along with two Ranji Trophy games and four List A appearances.
Record-Breaking Performance
Ashwani’s IPL debut turned into a dream start as he delivered an impressive 4/24 in 3 overs, making him the first Indian ever to take four wickets on IPL debut. This was also the best performance of his career so far, surpassing his previous best figures of 3/37 in List A cricket and 1/19 in T20s.
His early strikes set the tone for Mumbai Indians’ dominant performance, as KKR were bowled out for just 116 runs in 16.2 overs after being put in to bat by MI skipper Hardik Pandya. With this remarkable spell, Ashwani Kumar has emerged as a key bowler to watch in the ongoing IPL season.
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