Shocking! CSK rejected Ashwani Kumar despite calling him for trials

Mumbai Indians have found a new sensation in the form of the fiery left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar, who tore through Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting lineup with a stunning four-wicket haul during their one-sided eight-wicket victory in their IPL 2025 match at the Wankhede Stadium on March 31.

Ashwani Kumar was unstoppable as he dismissed Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Ajinkya Rahane (11 runs off 7 balls), Rinku Singh (17 runs off 14 balls), Andre Russell (5 runs off 11 balls), and Manish Pandey (19 runs off 14 balls) and finished with sensational figures of 4/24 in his four overs.

Ashwani Kumar destroys KKR with four-wicket haul on his IPL debut

The KKR batting lineup had now answers, as Ashwani struck with his very first delivery, sending Rahane back to the pavilion. With the crowd roaring and the Mumbai Indians’ dugout on its feet, the 23-year-old speedster kept the pressure on and scalped wickets at crucial moments to bowl KKR out for just 116 runs in 17 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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However, there is a story of grit and determination behind Ashwani’s fairy-tale debut in the IPL. Hailing from a humble background, Ashwani's journey to the IPL was not easy at all. Growing up in a small village, he owned just one and a half acres of land.

But their humble background didn’t deter Ashwani’s passion for the game. Whether it was blazing hot sun or pouring rain, Ashwani's father revealed that his son was used to cycling to the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) academy in Mohali or hitching rides just to make it to training.

Ashwani Kumar's father opens up about his hard workd behind his memorable debut

Harkesh Kumar was quoted as saying by The Indian Express, “Rain or hot sun, Ashwani would never hesitate to go to PCA at Mohali or later at the new stadium at Mullanpur. Sometimes, he would cycle to PCA Academy or take lifts or would go in shared autos.”

The proud father also revealed that the fast bowler sometimes would even take shared autos, scraping together INR 30 for the fare. But then his life took a magical turn when Mumbai Indians picked him up for INR 30 lakh in the IPL 2025 mega auction.

His hard work and relentless dedication have finally paid off, and his performance against KKR proves he’s worth every penny.

He further recalled, “I remember he would take ₹30 from me for the fare, and when he was picked up for ₹30 lakh by Mumbai Indians in the mega auction, I knew his worth was every penny. After each wicket today, I would think about those days when he would return at 10 PM after his training and again wake up the next day at 5 AM to head back.”

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Ashwani Kumar wants to be like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc

Notably, Ashwani Kumar trains at the same academy as KKR star Ramandeep Singh. He made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2019 and also trained with Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh at the PCA Academy. In 2023, he was part of the BRV Blasters team that won the Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup.

Ashwani Kumar's talent was spotted by the former Indian pacer VRV Singh, and he played a key role in developing the youngster's overall bowling. He had even attended trials for teams like Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rajasthan Royals. His brother revealed that Ashwani wants to become a fast bowler like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc.

Ashwani's brother Shiv revealed: “He attended trials for IPL sides, but he always wanted to be like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc. His friends would pool money to get him cricket balls, and when he was picked up by Mumbai Indians for ₹30 lakh, the first thing he did was to get cricket kits and balls distributed in the academies near our village.”