The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a launchpad for lesser-known cricketers, fast-tracking many to the big league. Among the prime examples are Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, both of whom made their names through the tournament. Every season, numerous young cricketers are picked at the auction for their base sums, and only a handful of them manage to break into the playing XI for a match or two.

This season, Bumrah’s absence due to an injury, at least for the initial part of IPL 2025, has allowed Hardik Pandya to try out a few youngsters, and among them, wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur and left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar, have already made significant impact.

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While Puthur shone with a three-wicket haul against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk in MI’s season opener, Ashwani stole the limelight in MI’s first home game of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders with a stunning four-wicket haul.

Despite limited domestic cricket experience with just two Ranji Trophy matches, three Vijay Hazare Trophy games (all in 2022), and four Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy outings last year, Ashwani was largely considered a back-up option when it came to selection for the Punjab domestic side.

Yet to take a four-wicket haul in any format for his state team, the 23-year-old has already begun his IPL career with a bang. The left-arm quick ran through KKR’s top and middler order to negate any chances of a comeback into the match, and ended up with the key wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey and Andre Russell, to help MI open their home campaign in style.

Hailing from a remote Jhanjheri village, on the outskirts of Mohali, Ashwani trained under coach Vajinder Singh at the Launching Pad Academy in Sector 97, Mohali. One of his state and academy mates, Ramandeep Singh, who was KKR’s second-highest scorer of the night with 22 runs, heaped praise on the young left-armer.

“He’s very talented and hardworking. He is a prime example of the IPL providing opportunities to young players, and they are making the most of it. We come from the same academy, and I was hoping to face him. He has a long way to go,” said Ramandeep.

Ashwani was first spotted by Mumbai Indians’ scouts during last year’s Sher-E-Punjab Trophy for his ability to bowl wide yorkers consistently. MI skipper Hardik Pandya credited the scouting team for unearthing such hidden gems, with this season also marking the IPL debuts of explosive Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Robin Minz and Andhra seamer Satyanarayana Raju.

“First of all, it’s all because of the scouts. All MI scouts have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game and it looked like he had that zip and late swing, had a different action and plus he is a leftie,” Pandya said during the post-match presentation after Ashwani’s spell powered them to an eight-wicket victory.

For Ashwani, who became the first Indian to claim a four-wicket haul on IPL debut, his impressive show has not only put his little-known village Jhanjheri on the cricketing map but also brought immense joy to those watching him back home. However, ahead of his big moment, he admitted that nerves got the better of him.

“I just had a banana because there was pressure, so I was not feeling very hungry. I had planned a little but they told me to enjoy myself on debut and bowl what I have been bowling,” he revealed during the mid-innings break.

Knowing his village was watching him play, he added, “Everyone back in the village will be watching me play. I got my opportunity today, and I’m very happy.”