In a thrilling display of cricket at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians’ (MI) debutant Ashwani Kumar made an unforgettable impact in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The 23-year-old left-arm seamer from Jhanjeri, Punjab, credited a pep talk from his captain, Hardik Pandya, for his stellar performance against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Ashwani’s debut was nothing short of spectacular as he took four wickets for just 24 runs, setting a new record as the first Indian bowler to achieve this feat on their IPL debut. His spell was instrumental in restricting KKR to a modest total of 116 runs. MI chased down the target comfortably, thanks to an unbeaten 62 off 41 balls by Ryan Rickelton, securing an eight-wicket victory and marking their first win of the season after two consecutive defeats.
Reflecting on his achievement, Ashwani shared, “I didn’t know I was the first Indian to do this, but it feels good.” His confidence was boosted by Hardik Pandya’s words of encouragement before the match. “Hardik bhai told me, ‘You’re from Punjab and Punjabis are fearless, so just scare the opponents and enjoy yourself’,” Ashwani recounted, highlighting the impact of the pep talk on his performance.
Ashwani’s impact was immediate and significant; he struck with his very first delivery, dismissing KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane. This marked the first instance in the last decade of an Indian bowler taking a wicket with their first ball on debut in the IPL. The catch, initially fumbled by Tilak Varma, was eventually secured on the second attempt, much to Ashwani’s relief.
MI’s bowling coach, Paras Mhambrey, praised Ashwani’s performance, emphasizing the importance of playing to one’s strengths. “To see someone coming in, first game, under pressure, happy for him. He worked on his strengths and focused on his strengths and that gave him the results. It’s not about performance, it’s about going in and enjoying what you do the best,” Mhambrey stated.
Explaining the decision to include Ashwani in the playing XI, Mhambrey noted, “Left-arm seamer who swings the ball and has got a high pace, ticks a lot of boxes for us. Wankhede, we always knew, is a wicket that has a lot of bounce compared to others. He’s the kind of guy who swings the ball and has (bowls at) high pace as well, so we felt it was the right surface for him to play.”
Ashwani expressed particular satisfaction with the dismissal of Andre Russell, describing it as his favorite wicket of the match. “My favourite wicket was Andre Russell’s because he is a very big player. Hardik bhai told me to not be afraid, so I just wanted to bowl to my plans,” he said, underscoring the confidence instilled by his captain’s words.