Year after year, Mumbai Indians (MI) have unveiled a talented youngster to the world. You can go back a decade and find examples. Via the Indian Premier League (IPL), they have unearthed players like Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, and the Pandya brothers (Hardik and Krunal).
These players haven’t just serviced teams in the IPL but also the India cricket team. There are several others who have successful IPL careers, like Ramandeep Singh and Nitish Rana, who are currently playing for different teams and doing well.
Ashwani Kumar rattles KKR in Wankhede
A few days ago, they showed the world Vignesh Puthur. The 24-year-old from Kerala hadn’t even played senior domestic cricket. But made his debut for MI. Puthur started with a 3-fer against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Just two matches later, MI brought in another player: Ashwani Kumar.
The 23-year-old from Punjab had played just 4 T20 matches and just 10 games in his entire domestic career. But MI know what they are doing. If one thought Puthur did well, well, Ashwani one-upped his teammate. He started his IPL career with a wicket. That too of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane.
The left-arm pacer didn’t stop there. Ashwani took three more wickets. These weren’t any lesser players either. The three scalps were Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell. A world-class finisher, the first Indian to score a century in the IPL, and perhaps the most destructive hitter in the league’s history. It was the joint-best figure by an Indian bowler on his IPL debut, as he finished with the figures of 24/4.
Investment in young talent: How MI wins IPL titles
But once again, this isn’t a shock. MI is known for having the best scouts of all IPL teams. They just don’t unearth these players; they nurture them and make them into proven performers. Puthur was sent to SA20 as a net bowler so that he could work with Rashid Khan, who’s the captain of MI Cape Town.
Every team has a different approach. Teams like CSK bid for senior and proven players at the IPL auction. Some look for stars. MI stands apart in this regard. Winning is what matters, yes, and MI has 5 titles to prove that. But no one invests in talent like they do. Puthur against CSK and Ashwani against KKR are just two of multiple examples.
