Say what you will about Mumbai Indians’ woes in the opening phase of any edition of the Indian Premier League (not to mention the scary injury that has Jasprit Bumrah sidelined), but the side does have the uncanny knack for unearthing serious talent. Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, even Tilak varma—there is a host of names I’m missing out on but a number of current top India stars in the format come from the famed MI scouting factory.
Last week, in the third game of the ongoing edition of the league, Vignesh Puthur, a 23-year-old left-arm spinner from Malappuram in Kerala, induced false shots from Chennai Super Kings’ Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda. All of them were caught on the boundary line—arresting the five-time champions’ march towards a 200+ total.
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On Monday, Game 12, it was another 23-year-old. From Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar in Punjab. Ashwani Kumar, also paid ₹30 lakh for his debut IPL, tripped the opposition into a collapse with his crafty variations and accuracy.
In the fourth over of the game, Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane chased a wide yorker bowled by Ashwani. Tilak Varma, stationed at the deep point boundary, went for the catch and completed it after an initial fumble.
In the 11th over, just as the floundering KKR seemed to be building up a partnership that could take them to a reasonably respectable target, Ashwani struck again. Striding in much like their former death-overs specialist, New Zealander Mitchell McClenaghan, with his face towel flapping around his waist, the youngster banged it in short to Rinku Singh. The latter, having danced down the track to hammer it over deep extra cover, miscued it and a running Naman Dhir ended the dangerous finisher’s stay.
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Ashwani went on to run through the gates of Manish Pandey and Andre Russell, which left KKR reeling at 88-8 and effectively without any hope for a late resurgence. He ended with 4-24, the best figures for an Indian bowler on IPL debut, and a Player of the Match award.
With a clean action and the ability to swing the ball, the left-armer seems like a promising prospect not just for MI but a probable India cadet. A left-arm seamer is always good to have in the arsenal—like Arshdeep Singh has showed in the recent past—and if Ashwani keeps the good work up, things could get interesting for him in the India reckoning.
Indian fans have been spoilt with quality fast bowlers in the recent years thanks to Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj—and Ashwani’s variations and accuracy could really come in handy. The slot for a death-overs specialist with an on-the-money wide yorker has been open ever since the slow departure of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
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Now, with three matches down and 11 to go in the league stage for Mumbai, and all eyes are on Robin Minz and Raj Angad Bawa, both 22 and with performances to show on the domestic circuit. Whether Puthur and Ashwani will continue to impress, we shall see.