NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians' debutant pacer Ashwani Kumar announced his arrival in style, delivering a sensational 4/24 on his IPL debut to decimate Kolkata Knight Riders' batting lineup. His heroics paved the way for Mumbai Indians' emphatic eight-wicket victory at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The 23-year-old left-arm pacer from Jhanjeri, near Chandigarh, carved his name into IPL history, becoming the first Indian bowler to take four wickets on debut. His remarkable spell played a crucial role in bundling out KKR to a mere 116 in 16.2 overs.
READ: Who is Ashwani Kumar?
Ashwani's debut heroics place him in an elite list of IPL debutants, alongside Alzarri Joseph (6/12) and Andrew Tye (5/17), reinforcing his potential as a future match-winner.
With this dominant win, Mumbai Indians not only strengthened their campaign but also introduced a promising left-arm pace sensation in Ashwani Kumar. As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on this young pacer, who has already made a lasting impact on the grand stage.
KKR’s innings started on a disastrous note as Sunil Narine was bowled for a duck by Trent Boult in the very first over. The collapse continued when Quinton de Kock (1) followed in the next over, caught by Ashwani off Deepak Chahar.
With KKR reeling at 2/2, skipper Ajinkya Rahane (11) attempted to stabilise the innings but fell victim to Ashwani, edging one to Tilak Varma at deep backward point. While Angkrish Raghuvanshi (26 off 16) showed some promise with fluent stroke play, he too perished, courtesy of Hardik Pandya (1/10). KKR's powerplay ended at 41/4, leaving them in a dire situation.
Ashwani continued his carnage, striking in the 10th over by dismissing Rinku Singh (17), who holed out to Naman Dhir at deep point. Two deliveries later, the debutant bowled Manish Pandey (19) with a beauty.
KKR's last hope, Andre Russell (5), also succumbed to Ashwani’s brilliance, clean bowled as he attempted an aggressive shot.
With Ashwani leading the attack, supported by Chahar (2/19), Boult (1/23), Pandya (1/10), and Vignesh Puthur (1/10), KKR’s innings never found momentum. They were eventually bowled out for 116 in 16.2 overs.
Chasing a modest 117, Mumbai Indians openers Rohit Sharma (13 off 12) and Ryan Rickelton (62 off 41)* provided a solid start. While Rohit fell to Andre Russell (2/32) in the sixth over, Rickelton played a sublime knock, finding gaps with ease and rotating the strike effectively.
Will Jacks (16 off 17) was Russell’s second victim, but by then, Mumbai Indians were firmly in control at 91/2 in 10.4 overs. Suryakumar Yadav (27* off 9) finished the chase in style with a flurry of boundaries, ensuring Mumbai Indians reached 121/2 in just 12.5 overs.
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