The new season of the Indian Premier League began last week, and a young spinner from Kerala grabbed the spotlight. Vignesh Puthur, a 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner from Malappuram, made his debut for Mumbai Indians. He didn’t just play, he made a big statement with his performance.
Left-arm wrist spinner Puthur from Malappuram, Kerala, put up a brilliant performance against CSK, troubling their middle order and emerging as MI’s most effective bowler in their big opening match. However, his efforts weren’t enough to stop MI from facing a narrow defeat.
Brought in as Mumbai’s Impact Player, Puthur didn’t look like a newcomer at all. His first big moment is taking down Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK’s captain and key batter a huge breakthrough.
Gaikwad got out while trying to go big, hitting the ball straight into Will Jack’s hands at long-off. But Puthur wasn’t finished yet. Next, he got Shivam Dube, who’s usually strong against spinners, to mistime a shot that went straight to Tilak Varma at long-on.
When Deepak Hooda got out soon after, the Mumbai Indians’ bet on the young spinner worked out perfectly. He grabbed three wickets on his debut, making a strong mark in the IPL.
Who is Vignesh Puthur?
Vignesh comes from Malappuram, Kerala. His father, Sunil Kumar, works as an autorickshaw driver, and his mother, K.P. Bindhu, is a homemaker. Despite facing financial struggles, his family has always supported his cricketing dreams. To chase his passion for cricket, Vignesh moved from Malappuram to Thrissur.
Puthur’s journey to IPL
Puthur’s journey to his big moment was far from ordinary. Unlike many other cricketers from Kerala, he had never played at the senior level for the state. His cricketing story began in local matches, where he started as a medium-pace bowler. But everything changed when Kerala cricketer Mohammed Sherif advised him to try a left-arm wrist spin.
Switching to spin turned out to be the turning point in his career. He worked hard for years, sharpening his skills in local leagues and college tournaments. His impressive performances for St. Thomas College in the Kerala College Premier T20 League, along with a short but memorable spell at Jolly Rovers Cricket Club, caught the attention of Mumbai Indians’ scouts.
Even though his stats in the Kerala Cricket League were not too impressive just two wickets in three matches Mumbai Indians saw potential in him. At the IPL 2025 mega auction, the franchise decided to take a chance on him, signing him for his base price of ₹30 lakh.
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