Mumbai Indian’s Ashwani Kumar Turned Into A Nightmare for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Summary: Ashwani stunned fans with his top-notch performance at IPL 2025, defeating KKR.

Ashwani Kumar, a 23-year-old left-arm bowler for Mumbai Indians, impressed on his IPL debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium, leading MI to an eight-wicket win. Ashwani's stats of 4 for 24 in three overs were crucial in limiting KKR to 116 in 16.2 overs, the lowest score in this IPL season. ​

Ashwani made history as the first Indian bowler to take four wickets on his IPL debut. He dismissed KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane (11) with his first delivery, followed by Rinku Singh (17), Manish Pandey (19), and Andre Russell (5). His control and variety overwhelmed the opposition, leaving the 30,000-strong home audience thrilled. ​

Reflecting on his debut, Ashwani revealed that pre-match anxiety limited his appetite, causing him to eat only a banana before the game. He gave credit to MI skipper Hardik Pandya's idea to bowl short and strike the body. "Hardik bhai told me to bowl short and to bowl at the body, and that led to a wicket," Ashwani recalled. ​

Ashwani is a resident of Jhanjerim Chandigarh, and previously played for Punjab in fir. st-class, List A, and T20 cricket. Before his IPL debut, he had only played four senior T20 matches, as well as two Ranji Trophy and four List A games. His outstanding performance against KKR showcases his potential as a bright player for the Mumbai Indians and Indian cricket.

MI opener Ryan Rickelton displayed a solid chase by taking advantage of the good conditions, scoring an undefeated 62 off 41 balls, including four boundaries and five sixes. His partnerships with Rohit Sharma (13) and Will Jacks (16) ensured a straightforward chase, and Suryakumar Yadav sealed the victory with a six to finish unbeaten on 27 off nine balls. MI scored 121/2 in just 12.5 overs, their first win of the IPL 2025 season. ​