Mumbai Indians’ Vignesh Puthur had an unforgettable IPL debut against the Chennai Super Kings at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday. He made an impact right away by taking down both Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube, along with Deepak Hooda. Vignesh first caught attention when he stepped in as MI’s impact substitute, taking the place of the legendary Rohit Sharma. He showed his talent as a left-arm wrist spinner by dismissing two top players from the CSK lineup.
Originally from the Malappuram district in Kerala, Vignesh hasn’t played for the state yet, having only represented Kerala at the Under-14 and Under-19 levels. He also participated in the first season of the Kerala Cricket League with the Alleppey Ripples, but his performance wasn’t as eye-catching back then, managing just two wickets in three matches. Still, Mumbai Indians’ scouts saw potential in him and signed him for Rs 30 lakh.
To boost his cricketing skills, he moved to Thrissur for college, where he made a name for himself in the Kerala College Premier T20 league while playing for St. Thomas College. On his IPL debut, he made his mark by dismissing CSK’s captain with a well-placed fuller ball that led to an easy catch at long-off.
He followed that up by taking out Shivam Dube, who is known to be a tough opponent, especially for spinners. Even though he faced some runs, he bounced back to claim another key wicket with Deepak Hooda, wrapping up a memorable debut for the young player.
With the kind of performance he showed at Chepauk, Vignesh will surely be looking to earn a regular spot in the team for upcoming matches and keep building on his success in his first season with the Mumbai Indians.
