Vignesh Puthur couldn’t have asked for a better start to his Indian Premier League (IPL) career with the wickets of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Coming into the game as a impact sub for Rohit Sharma, the left-arm wrist spinner from Kerala was introduced in the eighth over. The 24-year-old struck with his fifth ball with the CSK skipper becoming his maiden IPL wicket.
Vignesh Puthur then added Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda to his tally in his second and third overs respectively to keep Mumbai Indians in the game that was once looking to skip away, thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s fifty.
Who is Vignesh Puthur? All you need to know
Born in Malappuram in Kerala, Vignesh Puthur was roped in by Mumbai Indians for a base price of ₹30 lakh on the second day of the IPL 2025 mega auction last November.
Notably, Vignesh Puthur is yet to represent Kerala at the senior domestic level but represented the state at the U-14 and U-19 levels. As for the local tournaments, Vignesh Puthur featured for Alleppey Ripples in the Kerala Cricket League, picking up two wickets from three games.
Vignesh Puthur also had a stint in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. But spin bowling was not Vignesh Puthur’s first love. During his initial days, Vignesh Puthur started as a medium pacer before he was asked to try his hand at leg spin by local cricketer Mohammed Sherif.
He then moved to Thrissur to enhance his cricketing career and education. Vignesh Puthur was one of leading bowlers in the Kerala College Premier T20 league for St. Thomas College.
Vignesh Puthur’s career turned for good after his consistent shows for Jolly Rovers Cricket Club which earned him a place in the Alleppey Ripples squad for the KCL.