Mumbai: was so nervous Ashwani Kumar Mumbai before starting their IPL for Indians Kolkata Knight Riders On Monday night that he could not even have his lunch, he preferred to have only one banana instead.
A few hours later, the 23 -year -old left -handed pacer dazzled his way in the limelight under the light at the Wankhede Stadium, and became one of the most googly names in India. Enjoying the best start by an Indian bowler in the history of IPL, the young Turks of Punjab destroyed KKR’s batting line-up, broke behind KKR with four for 24 in a sensational three-over spell.
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Inspired by the onset of Ashwini’s dream in IPL, MI, after defeat in his first two matches, his campaign finally went away, as the hosts won their first IPL -2025 win in style, thrashing KKR by eight wickets with 43 balls in the match.
Playing their first match at home this season, the five -time IPL champs enjoyed a sweet home return.
After asking KKR to take the first strike, MI shot defending IPL champs for 116 in just 16.2 overs. Certainly, Ashwini, MI’s senior pacers Deepak four (two for 19) and Trent Bault (1-23 in four overs) were invested on initial attacks, while the hosts also worked on some electricity fielding by Naman Dhir, who made three catches, last one, a diving attempt (4) off pools, a diving attempt.
From the 13th -ranked home, as his new recruitment, South African opener Ryan Ryan Ryyan Ryyan (41B, 4×4, 5×6) stuck in the KKJR attack, while Suryakumar Yadav (29 not out, 9B, 3×4, 2×6) ended another Header delivery for scooping. Never note that his former captain Rohit Sharma (13) failed again.
Missing at his lunch, Ashwani, instead of feasting on KKR batsmen, scaling opposition captain Ajinkya Rahane (11) with his first ball in the IPL, left a bafadin to leave a 30,000 house crowd with wickets of Rinku Singh (17), Manish Pandey and Andray Russell (5).
Shining an infectious smile after Ashwani, the hero of his first match, living from a small town called Jhanjeri near Chandigarh, revealed that his Captain Hardik Pandya advised him to bowl a kind of ‘bodyline’ that tricked for him. “Hardik Bhai asked me to bowl short and bowl on the body and it hurts me.
The fourth over was introduced in an attack, Punjab hit gold quickly with their first ball in the IPL, as Rahane made a complete and detailed delivery to Tilak Verma, which almost made a catches mess before recovering the ball with his left hand. He then caught Rinku at a deep point by Naman Dhir.
By converting the beginning of his IPL into a story, he highlighted a ‘Jafa’, as Pandey bowled the neck and crop from a back-off-length delivery, cutting him in half, which caught him on the crease before killing him from the top of the leg stump.
For his fourth wicket, talented crooks, after installing Russell with a few short balls, produced a little full ball, which went to the Russell to send to the crowd, but ended after hearing the ‘Death Rattle’.
Only three bowlers have enjoyed a better IPL debut than Ashwani, with Alzari Joseph (6–12 for Mi vs SRH in 2019). Ashwani has played only four senior T20 matches before the start of his IPL, besides two Ranji Trophy and four list A matches for Punjab.
This is the first time in his career when Ashwani raced for four wickets in a match. His previous best list was three for 37 in A cricket and 19 for 19 in T20 cricket.
The semen is actually a good and a misleading bouncer. Known for his motion variations, Ashwani also has very good wide yorkers and last year impressed Mi talent scouts in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 Trophy, where he stopped a lot of matches with his effective death bowling.
Apparently, MI’s talent scouts are doing something right, although MI’s bowling coach-formmer India bowling coach Paras Mhambre should also be credited to provide this big platform in his promising career to ensure talent like Ashwani.
If it was a left -arm spinner Vignesh Puthur, who made an impressive debut in the initial match against Chennai Super Kings, then took three out of three for 32 in four overs, it was Ashwini’s turn that turned to zoom in the limelight in Wankhedi.
Playing at Wankhed for the first time in MI Colors, Bault gave the host a correct start when he sent KKR opener Sunil Narin for a duck with a sign full delivery for a duck, the fourth ball of the match.
Char was responsible for Quinton de Coke (1), which was well caught by Ashwani in the second over by Ashwani, and Venkatesh Iyer (behind a upper-cut. Totoring at 45 out of five in seven overs, KKR 100 for local boy anguzz.
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