NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians' left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar had a dream IPL debut, striking with his very first delivery against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium.
The 23-year-old dismissed KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane in the fourth over, becoming the fourth MI bowler to claim a wicket with his first ball in the tournament.
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Ali Murtaza, Alzarri Joseph and Dewald Brevis had achieved the feat for MI before Ashwini.
Wicket on the first ball on IPL debut for MI
Ali Murtaza vs RR, 2010 (Naman Ojha)Alzarri Joseph vs SRH, 2019 (David Warner)Dewald Brevis vs RCB, 2022 (Virat Kohli)Ashwani Kumar vs KKR, 2025 (Ajinkya Rahane)*
Ashwini's breakthrough came courtesy of a stunning catch by Tilak Varma, who initially fumbled but recovered quickly to complete a one-handed grab at deep backward point.
Who is Ashwani Kumar?
Hailing from a town called Jhanjeri, near Chandigarh, Ashwani has previously represented Punjab in first-class, List A, and T20 cricket. He has played just four senior T20 matches before his IPL debut — alongside two Ranji Trophy and four List A appearances — Ashwani stunned the cricketing world with a four-wicket haul.
Ashwini returned figures of 4 for 24 in 3 overs, making him the first Indian ever to claim four wickets on IPL debut.
This was the first time in his career that Ashwani picked up four wickets in a single match. His previous best figures were 3/37 in List A cricket and 1/19 in T20s.
Ashwani’s dream debut has added a new dimension to Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack, and his performance will surely make him a key player to watch in the ongoing season.
After being sent in to bat by MI skipper Hardik Pandya, KKR were bowled out for 116 in 16.2 overs, with Ashwani’s strikes setting the tone for MI’s dominance.
