The 23-year-old left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar has made a dream debut in the IPL as he started his IPL career with a wicket by dismissing the Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane. 

Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is hosting the 12th match of the IPL 2025, where the Mumbai Indians are hosting the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders. After the hosts chose to field first, KKR had a poor start by losing both the openers in the first seven balls after scoring only one run. At the end of the powerplay, KKR scored 41/4. 

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Ashwani Kumar dismissed Ajinkya Rahane on the first ball of his IPL debut

It was the fourth over of the match, where the IPL debutant Ashwani Kumar came to bowl his first over. While the KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane was looking that over as an opportunity after a horrible start, young left-arm pacer Kumar surprised everyone by taking an important wicket of Rahane on his first ball of his IPL career. 

It was a full and wide outside the off delivery, which Rahane went for, but his connection only found the deep backward point fielder Tilak Varma. Varma almost messed up that chance as he failed to grab that properly on the first attempt, but brilliantly picked up on the second attempt, which was a tougher chance. Skipper Rahane returned to the pavilion after scoring 11 off seven balls with one four and one six, as KKR were struggling at 25/3.

Ashwani Kumar became the 15th bowler to record a wicket on the first ball on IPL debut. Meanwhile, he became the fourth Mumbai Indians bowler to pick up a wicket on the first ball on IPL debut. Despite Angkrish Raghuvanshi hitting him a six in his first IPL over, Kumar completed his first IPL over with one wicket and conceded eight runs. 

Mumbai Indians bowler picking wickets on the first ball on IPL debut

• Ali Murtaza dismissed Naman Ojha (Rajasthan Royals) in 2010
• Alzarri Joseph dismissed David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) in 2019
• Dewald Brevis dismissed Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalore) in 2022
• Ashwani Kumar dismissed Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders) in 2025

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a platform for unearthing young cricketing talents, and the 2024 season is no different. One such talent to emerge on the scene is Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who made a stellar debut for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Delhi Capitals.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s Stellar Debut for KKR

Angkrish Raghuvanshi, an 18-year-old prodigy, made waves in the cricketing world with his scintillating debut for KKR. Hailing from India, Raghuvanshi showcased his batting prowess with a remarkable fifty on his IPL debut, capturing the attention of fans and pundits alike.

See Also: Raghuvanshi impresses with 25-ball 50 on IPL debut; Netizens react

Batting at No. 3, Raghuvanshi exhibited maturity beyond his years as he took on the Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack with confidence and flair. He scored 54 runs off 27 balls. His innings, consisting of 5 boundaries and 3 sixes.

Who is Angkrish Raghuvanshi?

Born in Delhi, Angkrish Raghuvanshi had his initial training in Gurgaon. Hailing from a family of athletes, Angkrish’s father, Avneesh Raghuvanshi is a former professional tennis player, whilst his mother, Malika Kapoor played basketball.

Raghuvanshi’s Background and U-19 Success

At the age of 11, Raghuvanshi relocated to Mumbai to pursue his cricketing dreams, determined to make a mark in the sport. His dedication and hard work paid off as he continued to hone his skills and excel in various cricketing tournaments. At the club level, he represented Mumbai’s Apollo Cricket Club.

Hailing from Gurgaon, Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s cricketing journey began at an early age. His breakthrough came in the 2022 U-19 World Cup, where he emerged as India’s highest run-scorer with 278 runs in just 6 innings, including one century and a half-century.

He was picked by KKR at base price in the 2024 auction and his childhood coach Abhishek Nayar is part of the team’s support staff. KKR bagged him for just 20 Lakhs. His inclusion in the team’s lineup proved to be a masterstroke, as he made an immediate impact with his explosive batting.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi with his childhood coach Abhishek Nayar.

Remarkable Performances in Domestic Cricket

Raghuvanshi’s impressive performances in domestic cricket caught the attention of selectors and cricketing experts alike. His stellar display in the CK Nayudu Trophy, where he amassed 765 runs in 9 matches, underscored his potential as a future cricketing star.

Angkrish made his senior debut for the Mumbai team last year, in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Haryana. He scored a 24-ball 26 in that match. A month later, he made his List A debut in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Sikkim, scoring 30 runs.

He has scored 138 runs in eight T20Is so far, whilst in List A cricket, he has accumulated 133 runs at an average of 26.60.