Ashwani Kumar was roped in by the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega-auction after playing only four T20 matches in domestic cricket.
The 23-year-old has made a stunning impact for the five-time champions in his maiden season in the cash-rich league, earning him rich praise from fans as well as experts.
In the Eliminator on Friday, May 30, against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Ashwani came in as the Impact Player in the second innings and played a significant role in helping Mumbai defend a 229-run target on a belter of a track. He took the wicket of Shahrukh Khan, finishing with figures of 1/28 in 3.3 overs.
After the match, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene lauded the Punjab bowler for rising up to every challenge thrown at him by the management.
“Ashwani is a great talent. This season, he’s handled every challenge we’ve thrown at him really well. He hasn’t played much state cricket, but the skill was obvious when we first saw him. We’ve given him simple plans to avoid confusion, and he’s had strong support from players like Boom (Bumrah), Deepak, and Hardik. Execution under pressure is what matters, and he’s done that,” Jayawardene said in the post-match press conference.
The former Sri Lanka captain said that Ashwani has been used tactically, based on the opponents MI are up against. Jayawardene vowed to continue grooming the young speedster in the right way.
“Even in the GT game when he came on as a concussion sub, and in the KKR game, he bowled brilliantly. We use him tactically based on the opposition, and he continues to learn. This is just the beginning – there’s much more to come from Ashwini, and we’re committed to grooming him the right way,” he added.
Ashwani has accounted for nine wickets so far from six matches at an average of 19.67. His best figures came against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), when he bagged four wickets, conceding just 24 runs.