MI debutant Ashwani Kumar shines with 4 wickets as KKR crumbles for 116

Mumbai Indians (MI) finally have something to cheer about in IPL 2025, thanks to a sensational debut by pacer Ashwani Kumar. The young speedster made an immediate impact, dismantling Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with a four-wicket haul at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. His spell helped MI bowl out KKR for just 116 runs in 16.2 overs.

Ashwani Kumar’s Dream Debut

Ashwani Kumar wasted no time making his mark, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane with his very first ball. He continued his carnage, sending Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and the dangerous Andre Russell back to the pavilion. His figures of 4/24 in 3 overs are now the best by an Indian bowler on IPL debut.

KKR’s Batting Collapse

Winning the toss and opting to bowl, MI took full advantage of the conditions. KKR crumbled under relentless pressure, losing half their side at 45/5 in just seven overs. Despite a brief resistance from Ramandeep Singh, who smashed a couple of big hits, KKR failed to cross the 120-run mark. Their innings ended at 116 when Ramandeep, attempting another big shot, was caught at third man by MI skipper Hardik Pandya.

Mumbai Indians Eye a Comfortable Chase

With just 117 runs to chase, MI looks set for their first victory of IPL 2025 after suffering defeats in their opening two matches. Rohit Sharma is expected to open the innings, with either Ryan Rickelton or Will Jacks partnering him at the top. With plenty of firepower in their batting lineup, MI will be looking to boost their Net Run Rate (NRR) with a swift chase.

Playing XIs:

Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Varun Chakravarthy.

As the second innings unfolds, MI fans will be hoping for a dominant chase to get their team’s IPL 2025 campaign back on track.