Mumbai Indians have a rich history of unearthing unknown talent. Vignesh Puthur is their latest addition, having signed him for IPL 2025. Get to know the 23-year-old spinner from Kerala.
The Indian Premier League has given us countless stories of inspiration and pure joy over the years. It has provided a launchpad to domestic players from all over the country and helped them financially as well. Latest story in that list is of Vignesh Puthur, set to don the Mumbai Indians jersey in the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
The former five-time champions acquired Puthur for INR 30 lakhs in the accelerated round of the IPL 2025 auction. The son of an auto rickshaw driver, Vignesh was on cloud nine after hearing the news.
“I switched off my TV before the accelerated round of auction began and was preparing to sleep when one of my friends called me and told me that I had been bought by MI. At first, I thought they were trying to play a prank on me. I scrolled the website and saw my name in the Mumbai Indians squad. It was unbelievable,” said Puthur to Times of India.
Not to mistake him for the left-arm orthodox spinner with a similar name from Tamil Nadu, Vignesh Puthur has not played any senior-level cricket. So what made Mumbai Indians take a punt on him? The answer perhaps lies in his skill set. Left-arm wrist spinners are an extremely rare breed in this sport, so much that you can count the renowned ones on fingers.
Raised in Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, Vignesh made an impression during the inaugural Kerala Cricket League in September. He played three games and picked two wickets but did enough to catch the attention of the MI scouts.
Very good turner of the leg spin. Toss it way too much to whatever i saw of him. Need to groom him. Very clean action tho. Vignesh Puthur. pic.twitter.com/do2HjDc2eY
— Kaushik Kashyap (@CricKaushik_) November 25, 2024
Puthur was then called by the franchise for three trials before the auction, where he made a mark. He bowled to the MI captain Hardik Pandya and others with the head coach Mahela Jayawardene watching closely.
Earlier in January, he was called as the net bowler for MI Cape Town, where he had the opportunity to pick the brains of Rashid Khan.
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Given Mumbai Indians’ squad it is unlikely that Vignesh Puthur will get a game in the IPL 2025. However, the team likes throwing in surprises at the beginning of the season. IPL also has an Impact Player rule, which gives Puthur an outside chance of getting on the field.
Excited for what's coming! 💙
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 29, 2024
Welcome to the FA𝐌𝐈LY, Vignesh Puthur#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #TATAIPLAuction pic.twitter.com/zoJ6yrZWiY
Even if he doesn’t get game-time in the upcoming season, bowling to the likes of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya in the nets itself is huge. Rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world and learning from legends in the support staff would help the youngster grow immensely. A stint he will no doubt cherish.
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