Mumbai Indians left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar had an unforgettable debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Monday as he bowled the best-ever spell by an Indian bowler on IPL debut. The 23-year-old shredded the opposition to pieces with a blistering spell while playing for Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mumbai. Ashwani Kumar joined an elite list of bowlers in IPL history to take four or more wickets on his debut.
Ashwani Kumar’s Dream Debut In IPL
Ashwani impressed right from the beginning, sending back Ajinkya Rahane with his first ball. He did not let up in the second over, picking up Rinku Singh and Manish Pandey in successive deliveries, before mopping up Andre Russell in his third. By the time he finished his three-over stint, he had taken 4 wickets for 24 runs, helping to keep KKR to a paltry 116 runs.
Historic Achievement In IPL Debut
Though Ashwani’s four-wicket haul was spectacular, the best-ever IPL debut bowling figures are those of Alzarri Joseph, who bagged 6 for 12 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019. Andrew Tye is the only other bowler who picked up a five-wicket haul on his debut and took 5 for 17 for Gujarat Lions against Rising Pune Supergiant.
| Player | Team | Figures | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alzarri Joseph | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 6/12 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 2019 |
| Andrew Tye | Gujarat Lions (GL) | 5/17 | Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) | 2017 |
| Shoaib Akhtar | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 4/11 | Delhi Daredevils (DD) | 2008 |
| Ashwani Kumar | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 4/24 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 2025 |
| Kevon Cooper | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 4/26 | Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) | 2012 |
Who Is Ashwani Kumar?
This was the second instance in three matches that Mumbai Indians’ scouting team earned universal praise. In the opening match of the season, leg-spinner Vignesh Puthur made an impressive debut, and now it was Ashwani Kumar’s turn to impress. Even though he had a modest domestic record—playing in two Ranji Trophy games (last in 2022), three Vijay Hazare Trophy matches (last in 2022), and four Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches (2024), Ashwani had never grabbed more than three wickets in a single game.
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But Mumbai Indians realized his precision and capacity for bowling wide yorkers in the Sher-E-Punjab Trophy a year ago. Though a under-the-hood purchase in the IPL Auction at Jeddah, he quickly justified his price tag.
