MI vs KKR: Who is Ashwani Kumar? Mumbai Indians Debutant Who Picked First-Ball Wicket in IPL 2025

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Left-arm fast bowler Ashwani Kumar had a dream start to his Indian Premier League (IPL) career. Playing for Mumbai Indians (MI), he dismissed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane with the very first ball of his debut match on March 31, 2025.

Sensational First Ball Wicket

Ashwani bowled a sharp delivery, and Rahane edged it towards wide third man, where Tilak Varma took the catch after fumbling it twice. With this, Ashwani joined an elite list of bowlers who have taken a wicket on the very first ball of their IPL debut.

Bowlers Who Took Wickets on Their First IPL Ball

Bowler Match Batter Dismissed Year
Ishant Sharma KKR vs RCB Rahul Dravid 2008
Wilkin Mota PBKS vs CSK Suresh Raina 2008
Shane Harwood RR vs DC Azhar Bilakhia 2009
Amit Singh RR vs PBKS Sunny Sohal 2009
Charl Langeveldt KKR vs RR Rob Quiney 2009
Ali Murtaza MI vs RR Naman Ojha 2010
TP Sudhindra DC vs CSK Faf du Plessis 2012
Alzarri Joseph MI vs SRH David Warner 2019
Matheesha Pathirana CSK vs GT Shubman Gill 2022
Ashwani Kumar MI vs KKR Ajinkya Rahane 2025

Who is Ashwani Kumar?

Ashwani Kumar is a left-arm fast bowler from Punjab. He has a deceptive bouncer and is known for his pace variations. His wide yorker makes him effective in death overs. Mumbai Indians scouts noticed him during the Sher-E-Punjab T20 Trophy in 2024, where he performed well in pressure situations.

He made his domestic debut for Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022 but has played only four matches, taking three wickets at an economy of 8.50. He has also played two First-Class and four List A matches for Punjab.

IPL 2025 and Mumbai Indians Journey

Ashwani was bought by Mumbai Indians for ₹30 lakh in the 2025 mega auction. Last season, he was part of Punjab Kings, but he did not get a chance to play. Now, he has grabbed his opportunity with Mumbai Indians in style.

Story First Published at www.probatsman.com on 31 March 2025

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