The decision was confirmed by skipper Hardik Pandya during the coin toss.
Mumbai Indians (MI) have decided to hand a debut to young 23-year-old death overs specialist Ashwani Kumar for their clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) tonight in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
The decision was confirmed by skipper Hardik Pandya during the coin toss. Ashwani Kumar will be replacing another young pacer, Satyanarayana Raju, in the MI Playing XI vs KKR.
Kumar has been making some noise in the domestic circuit, and now his time has come to prove himself on the big stage.
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Ashwani Kumar’s greatest strength is one of the most valuable assets in the IPL- his pace variations. The left-arm seamer can consistently deliver a diverse range of deliveries, including sharp cutters, deceptive slow bouncers, well-disguised floating full-tosses, and a tricky length ball that momentarily grips the surface before skidding onto the stumps. His ability to execute these variations with precision makes him a formidable bowler.
Ashwani has showcased his abilities in the domestic circuit, impressing in the Sher E Punjab T20 Trophy with some match-winning and decisive death bowling. He also played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT 2024) for Punjab and the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT). He managed to get 3-37 against Arunachal and 0-48 against Puducherry.
Picked up for his base price of INR 30 lakhs by MI, Ashwani will hope to make the most of this opportunity, which can raise his stocks further going forward.
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