Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya heaped praise on his team's scouting department for unearthing another gem in Ashwani Kumar, after the pace bowler produced the best figures by an Indian on his Indian Premier League debut.

Ashwani Kumar, a 23-year-old from Punjab, was named in the starting lineup by Mumbai Indians during the side’s Indian Premier League 2025 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Off his first ball of IPL career, Ashwani removed KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane.

Mumbai Indians (MI) finally got off the mark in IPL 2025 in emphatic style, delivering a dominant performance against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Debutant Ashwani Kumar stole the show with a sensational four-wicket haul, while Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 62 guided MI to a commanding eight-wicket victory.