In a stunning display of talent scouting and player development, Mumbai Indians’ latest find Vignesh Puthur announced himself on the IPL stage with an impressive 3/32 against Chennai Super Kings at a packed Chepauk Stadium on Sunday. The 24-year-old chinaman bowler from Malappuram, Kerala, whose father works as an auto driver, outshone three other debutants in the high-profile clash with his composure and skill.
Puthur’s journey to cricket’s biggest domestic stage is nothing short of remarkable. Spotted during the Kerala Cricket League, he caught the attention of Mumbai Indians’ renowned scouting department during franchise trials, where his accuracy, consistent turn, and calm temperament under pressure prompted MI to secure him for Rs 30 lakh at the auction.
MI’s systematic approach to nurturing this raw talent began immediately. The management first sent Puthur to South Africa as a net bowler for MI Cape Town during the SA20 tournament in January, where he had the invaluable experience of working with world-class spinners like Rashid Khan. This international exposure was followed by competitive game time in the DY Patil T20 tournament, where he represented the Reliance team in three matches before IPL preparations began in earnest.
“Rohit, Surya, Tilak, all these guys batted against him in the nets… it wasn’t that easy to pick him,” revealed MI bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. “That gave us the confidence to push him into this game, and it turned out to be an excellent decision.”
What makes Puthur’s story particularly compelling is his limited exposure to high-level cricket before his IPL call-up. Mumbai Indians, renowned for their eye for untapped potential, looked beyond conventional metrics when selecting him.
“We have good guys who can spot talent. The idea with MI is seeing the potential more than anything else,” Mhambrey explained. “When we saw him at one of our trials, we recognized that potential rather than focusing on how much cricket he’d played previously. And you saw that today.”
Against CSK, Puthur dismissed established stars Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda while maintaining remarkable composure amidst the deafening atmosphere of Chepauk. This mental fortitude didn’t develop overnight but was carefully nurtured through regular interactions with head coach Mahela Jayawardene, Kieron Pollard, and senior players like Rohit Sharma.
“He hasn’t played much cricket, but we had the opportunity to work with him after a couple of trials,” Mhambrey said. “It wasn’t purely skill work—he’s pretty sorted there. It was more about the conversations he had with MJ, Pollard, and especially Surya and Rohit. That really helped him understand the requirements, his role in the team, and our expectations.”
For a young cricketer from Kerala, sharing a dressing room with international superstars and even having a post-match chat with MS Dhoni represents a dream realized. Despite the sudden social media attention, Puthur remains grounded.
“He’s a lovely kid to have in the team,” Mhambrey added. “He’s like a sponge right now, just absorbing everything, having conversations with experienced players like MJ, Surya, Tilak, and Rohit. Not everyone gets that opportunity. You see your heroes on TV, and suddenly you’re sharing a dressing room with them, sitting next to someone like Rohit. It’s a dream come true.”
What impressed the MI camp most was how unfazed Puthur appeared on debut. “He never looked under pressure from the very first ball. That was good to see,” Mhambrey noted.
The Mumbai Indians franchise has a storied history of transforming uncut gems into cricketing diamonds. Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, and Tilak Varma all followed similar trajectories from relative obscurity to household names. The MI dugout now hopes Puthur’s impressive debut marks the beginning of another such success story.
As cricket fans witnessed on Sunday night, Mumbai Indians’ talent pipeline continues to produce players who seem ready for the big stage from day one—a testament to their scouting system, development process, and team culture that allows young cricketers to express themselves fearlessly on the world’s most competitive T20 platform.