Mumbai: Mumbai Indians' (MI) pacer Ashwani Kumar etched his name in IPL history by becoming the first Indian to take a four-wicket haul on debut, returning figures of 4/24 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.
The young speedster's electrifying spell dismantled KKR's batting lineup, restricting them to the lowest total of this IPL season. The visitors were bundled out for 116 runs.
Ashwani's performance placed him among the best bowling figures on IPL debut, alongside Alzarri Joseph (6/12), Andrew Tye (5/17), Shoaib Akhtar (4/11), Kevon Cooper (4/26), and David Wiese (4/33).
Ashwani was the standout performer as he dismantled KKR's middle order with an impressive 4/24, claiming the crucial wickets of Ajinkya Rahane (11), Rinku Singh (17), Manish Pandey (19), and Andre Russell (5). His spell proved decisive, as KKR struggled to build any momentum despite a few promising knocks.
Ashwani's remarkable debut spell set up the win, despite a couple of dropped catches in the field. His fiery delivery that rattled Russell’s stumps was a defining moment, underlining MI’s dominance.
With this stellar start, Ashwani is already being touted as a key asset for MI in the tournament, with expectations mounting for him to deliver consistently in the upcoming matches.
