Ashwani Kumar makes insane debut in IPL 2025 - Helps Mumbai Indians Beat KKR
Ashwani Kumar's sensational IPL debut helped Mumbai Indians secure an 8-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders. Read about his record-breaking bowling performance and Mumbai's first win of the season.
kowshik Reddy
Outshining everybody else in his IPL debut match, Ashwani Kumar, a left-arm pacer for the Mumbai Indians, put in an exemplary performance, steering his team triumphantly to an eight-wicket victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium on March 31, 2025. The 23-year-old from Punjab returned figures of 4 for 24 in three overs, which, incidentally, are the best bowling figures achieved by an Indian in his first match in the IPL.
Kumar made a grand entry into the match when he took the wicket of KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane with his very first ball, an achievement shared by only 15 others in the IPL's history. Dismantling KKR with some more key wickets of Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell, Kumar made sure that KKR could score only a paltry 116 runs in 16.2 overs.
Captain of the Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya, spoke highly of the team's scouting department for having found Ashwani, noting his unusual action, pace, and late swing. "They really chose him, and I'm really happy for the young kid," said Pandya.
Batsman Ryan Rickelton, who helped with the chase by remaining unbeaten at 62, praised Ashwani's deceptive speed and ability to swing the ball, commenting, "He's a lot quicker than people recognize at first... He can swing the new ball."
Ashwani's exit from the limelight of the IPL is one to marvel at. Before joining the Mumbai Indians at the 2025 IPL auction, he had scant prior experience playing the senior T20 format, where he had only played four matches. Nevertheless, his potential for stardom was clearly visible, and the Mumbai Indians signed him for INR 30 lakh through the auction.
Speaking of his debut, Kumar asserted that he felt the pressure; in fact, "he didn't have lunch" before the game, partly due to nerves.
This win becomes the Mumbai Indians' first of the season and has now moved them to sixth on the points table with a good net run rate, whereas defending champions KKR have slipped to the bottommost position.
Also, on Ashwani's debut, he casts a further light on the consistent scouting and development of talents by the Mumbai Indians, which just adds further hope to their bowling attack moving forward in the IPL 2025 season.
