Ashwani Kumar couldn’t have asked for a memorable debut on Monday as the Mumbai Indians pacer dismissed Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane on the first ball of his Indian Premier League (IPL) career at the Wankhede Stadium. The left-arm pacer could have got another, had Mitchell Santner held on to the tough chance from Venkatesh Iyer.
In the process, Ashwani Kumar became the second youngster to be handed Mumbai Indians’ debut cap in three matches they have played so far after Kerala spinner Vignesh Puthur and Andhra Pradesh’s Satyanarayana Raju.
What’s so special about Ashwani Kumar?
Born in Jhanjeri, Mohali, Ashwani Kumar is a left-arm pacer who grabbed the eyeballs in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament.