Mumbai Indians may have had a rough start to IPL 2025 with two consecutive defeats, but they have bounced back in emphatic fashion in their first home game of the season against Kolkata Knight Riders. Hardik Pandya’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss proved spot on, as MI’s bowlers wreaked havoc.
Trent Boult struck in the very first over, Deepak Chahar chipped in with an early breakthrough, but the real star of the show was debutant Ashwani Kumar, who stole the limelight with a sensational four-wicket haul. Ashwani Kumar made an immediate impact, dismissing KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane with his very first ball in IPL cricket.
Ashwani Kumar then went on to claim the prized scalps of Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Manish Pandey, etching his name in the record books as the first Indian player to take four wickets on debut in the IPL. Speaking at the innings break, Ashwani admitted that the pressure was immense, but the supportive team environment helped him settle in.
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The young left-arm pacer also revealed a quirky detail about his pre-match nerves—he was too anxious to eat a full meal and ended up having just a banana for lunch. “There was a lot of pressure, but the team made me feel comfortable. I didn’t eat much for lunch, just had a banana because of the nerves. The management just told me to bowl as I always do,” he shared.
Ashwani also spoke about his approach against Russell, explaining that Pandya had instructed him to bang the ball into the pitch. “Hardik told me to hit the deck hard, but I couldn’t execute it properly. Then he advised me to target the body, and eventually, Russell went for a big shot and got out,” he said.
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The young pacer added that his entire village in Punjab was watching the match, and he looked forward to speaking with them once the game was over. Thanks to Ashwani’s brilliant spell, MI bowled out KKR for just 116 and now look well-placed to secure their first win of the season at the Wankhede Stadium.
