When Mumbai Indians opted to replace Rohit Sharma with Vignesh Puthur as their impact substitute against Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, it was a moment few saw coming.

The 23-year-old left-arm wrist spinner from Malappuram had never played senior cricket for Kerala, yet found himself in the thick of one of the IPL’s biggest rivalries.

Puthur’s journey has been anything but conventional. A product of Kerala’s local cricket scene, he was first noticed while playing for Alleppey Ripples in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL).

Despite taking only three wickets in two matches, Mumbai’s scouts were impressed with his ability to bowl the rare ‘chinaman’ delivery with control and variation.

That showing earned him three trials with the franchise in recent months, where he bowled to some of MI’s biggest stars under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff.

His path to the IPL, however, was far from straightforward. The son of an autorickshaw driver and a homemaker, Puthur had no expectations from the IPL auction.

With no senior domestic experience to his name, his chances of securing a contract seemed slim.

He had even switched off his TV before the accelerated round of bidding began, only to be stunned when Mumbai Indians secured his services for Rs 30 lakh.

Puthur’s cricketing journey began at the age of 11 when he was encouraged to try his hand at left-arm wrist spin.

He went on to train at the Malappuram District Cricket Academy and represented Kerala at the U-14 and U-19 levels but never progressed to the senior team.

Instead, he continued playing club cricket for Jolly Rovers in Perinthalmanna, perfecting his craft away from the limelight.

A keen student of the art of wrist spin, he draws inspiration from Kuldeep Yadav but has developed a distinct bowling action of his own.

His breakthrough moment came when he got the opportunity to bowl in the nets to MI’s established stars, including Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.

His performances in those sessions ultimately convinced the franchise to take a punt on him.

On Sunday, the risk paid off. Puthur’s IPL debut, replacing a modern great in Rohit Sharma, was a moment of vindication for Mumbai Indians' scouting system.

Even though Mumbai lost to Chennai by 4 wickets, Puthur's 3/32 in four overs was the silver lining for Rohit and his team.