Ashwani Kumar had a simple pre-match meal — just a banana. Hours later, he peeled the skin off the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede stadium.
On Monday, the left-arm seamer from Mohali left the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Andre Russell, and Rinku Singh stunned as they walked back to the dugout.
“I only ate a banana before the game,” said the debutant while speaking to Ravi Shastri, who wanted to know what the 21-year-old had for lunch—because this was the first time an Indian pacer had taken four wickets on IPL debut.
Ashwani Kumar finished with figures of 4-24 in three overs, delivering ten dot balls. But the highlight was undoubtedly his 141 kmph thunderbolt that sent Andre Russell’s stumps cartwheeling.
During the mid-innings interview, he spoke about his emotions, saying, “It felt very good. I felt pressure, but the team environment is so nice, it felt lighter.”
When asked about the team’s message to him, he said, “I was told just to enjoy and play my natural game. When I was bowling, the captain helped me a lot—he said to bang it into the pitch and bowl towards the batter’s body, and it worked.”
Hailing from Mohali, Ashwani first gained attention with his performances in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament.
The young pacer has built a reputation for his effectiveness in the death overs, which earned him a ₹30 lakh deal with Mumbai Indians at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
In 2024, he was part of the Punjab Kings squad but did not get a chance to play.
Ashwani made his Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy debut for Punjab in 2022, featuring in four matches and picking up three wickets at an economy rate of 8.5.
His domestic career also includes two First-Class matches and four List A appearances for Punjab.
Playing in his first-ever IPL match, the left-arm quick made an impact immediately, dismissing KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane for 11 off 7 with his very first ball. He then removed the dangerous Rinku Singh before emphatically knocking over Russell.
KKR introduced Manish Pandey as their Impact Substitute, but he too couldn’t match up to the craft on offer from Ashwani Kumar.
