Akash Madhwal Goes From Engineering Graduate to the IPL Record Books

Against the Lucknow Super Giants, in the eliminator, Akash Madhwal came up with a performance that will leave him in the spotlight for a while. Often, performances such as his in the IPL instantly prope players into stardom, and Akash Madhwal is certainly heading their has he picked up the joint most economical figures, along with Anil Kumble.

From playing tennis ball cricket, he popped up out of nowhere suddenly bowling to Shubman Gill, and sending his stumps for a toss as Mumbai unearthed yet another fast bowler. Seasons ago, Jasprit Bumrah came up in the same manner. With an awkward action, he took on RCB and dismissed Virat Kohli, who was already a world-beater by then.

Into his first season, Madhwal has already produced two dream spells. The first against the Gujarat Titans, where he ran through the batting line-up as Mumbai defended a handsome score. A few weeks later, he turned hero in Chepauk as he ran through the Lucknow Super Giants taking five wickets and only conceding five runs.

Coming from Uttarakhand, Madhwal saw a lot of Rishabh Pant in his early days, as Rishabh Pant went on to make a name for himself in the big stage. In 2021, he spent time as a net bowler with Bangalore, bowling to the likes of Ab De Villiers and Virat Kohli, which is a dream come true for any aspiring fast bowler.

Having only played tennis ball cricket up until 2018, Akash Madhwal was very raw, and his fitness levels were in question, as the challenge of top level bowling could really weigh on the body. He worked on his fitness, spent some time with the talent scouts, and also played some first class cricket, and later caught the eye with his arm speed and change of pace.

With Suryakumar Yadav injured mid-way through 2022, Akash Madhwal got his chance in the squad, but did not make his debut last season. This season though, with Jofra Archer leaving mid-way and with Jasprit Bumrah already out, Rohit Sharma desperately needed someone to handle the back end.

They gave it a shot with the likes of Arjun Tendulkar and Riley Meredith, and in the end it was Akash Madhwal who proved that he has the ability to hold his own at the big stage. He’s made the record books, he has the best figures by a bowler in the playoffs, and now, teams will definitely be taking a note of him. The Gujarat Titans already have a measure of him, having lost a chunk of their top order to him in the previous encounter, and will come in prepared for their next battle.