IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar, Mumbai Indians' young pace sensation?
Ashwani is 10th overall and the fourth player for MI to take a maiden IPL wicket on their first ball on debut
 "IPL 2025: Who is Ashwani Kumar, Mumbai Indians' young pace sensation?")
Mumbai Indians’ (MI) scouting proved once again why they are one of the best in the league on Monday, as their latest debutant Ashwani Kumar wreaked havoc against KKR at Wankhede, picking four wickets while giving away just 24 runs in his three-over spell. Ashwani took Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket on his very first ball to enter the elite list of bowlers to take a maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) wicket on their first ball on debut. Ashwani is 10th overall and the fourth player for MI to achieve this milestone. Before Ashwani, Ali Murtaza, Alzarri Joseph and Dewald Brevis were the other MI bowlers to pick wickets on their debut ball. Notably, Ashwani is also the only Indian bowler to take four wickets on his IPL debut.
Full list of players to pick a wicket on the first ball of their IPL debut
| Bowler | Match | Batter | Year |
| Ishant Sharma | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Rahul Dravid | 2008 |
| Wilkin Mota | Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings | Suresh Raina | 2008 |
| Shane Harwood | Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers | Azhar Bilakhia | 2009 |
| Amit Singh | Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Sunny Sohal | 2009 |
| Charl Langeveldt | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals | Rob Quiney | 2009 |
| Ali Murtaza | Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals | Naman Ojha | 2010 |
| TP Sudhindra | Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings | Faf du Plessis | 2012 |
| Alzarri Joseph | Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | David Warner | 2019 |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Shubman Gill | 2022 |
| Ashwani Kumar | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Ajinkya Rahane | 2025 |
Who is MI’s latest debutant Ashwani Kumar?
Ashwani Kumar is a left-arm pacer from a town called Jhanjeri, near Chandigarh is known for his deceptive bouncer, pace variations and effective wide yorker. He impressed Mumbai Indians scouts with his death bowling in the 2024 Sher-E-Punjab T20 Trophy. Ashwani made his debut in the 2022 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but has played only four matches, taking three wickets at an economy of 8.50. He has also featured in two first-class and four List A games for Punjab. Bought for Rs 30 lakh in the 2025 mega auction, he was previously with Punjab Kings but did not get a game last season. Ashwani on his performance
During the innings break, Ashwani Kumar shared his thoughts on his impressive debut performance, expressing both excitement and relief.
"I am feeling really good. There was some pressure early on, but the team environment helped me stay calm," he said.
Revealing his pre-match nerves, he added, "I just had a banana because of the pressure—I wasn't feeling very hungry. I had a basic plan, but the team encouraged me to enjoy my debut and stick to what I’ve been bowling."
Ashwani credited Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya for key advice. "Hardik bhai told me to bowl short and target the body, and that’s exactly how I got my first wicket," he explained.
Speaking about the significance of the moment, he said, "Everyone in my village was eagerly waiting for my debut. By God’s grace, I got this opportunity tonight and performed well."