Left-arm pace bowlers who deliver during death overs remain rare finds. Ashwani Kumar emerged as one such promising talent recently. The young Punjab pacer bowls multiple variations that confuse batters. His impressive debut season turned heads across cricket circles. This year, he continues his journey with the same franchise.
Ashwani Kumar: Punjab’s Left-Arm Pacer
Ashwani Kumar was born on August 29, 2001 in Punjab. He bowls left-arm fast which adds variety to attacks. Slog overs became his speciality surprisingly quickly during domestic cricket. Young bowlers who handle death bowling pressure stand out immediately.
IPL team Mumbai Indians spotted him during the 2025 auction proceedings. They bought him for ₹30 lakh. That investment paid off almost instantly for them. His debut season exceeded everyone’s expectations by quite some margin.
Seven matches brought him 11 wickets during the 2025 campaign. That strike rate impressed coaches and mates tremendously there. Left-arm angle creates different problems for right-handed batters. He grabbed those limited opportunities with both hands firmly.
Impressive Debut Season Numbers
Ashwani made his IPL debut in the 2025 season. His best bowling figures read 4/24 from one spell. That four-wicket haul announced his arrival on big stages. The average of 21.09 shows he picks wickets regularly enough.
Economy rate sits at 11.32 which seems high admittedly. However, death bowling always inflates economy rates significantly everywhere. Yorkers and slower balls became his go-to deliveries constantly. Franchises need such specialists who bowl fearlessly during slog overs.
His IPL Price Details
The Mumbai Indians paid Ashwani Kumar just ₹30 lakh initially. That base price for uncapped players seemed like nothing. His performances made that investment look absolutely brilliant afterwards. The amount stayed at ₹30 lakh for 2026 retention.
Budget picks who deliver immediately become franchise favourites quickly. His salary will likely jump significantly after more seasons. The IPL price reflects his uncapped status currently here. Smart franchises find such value picks who overperform contracts.
His IPL Team Future
Ashwani Kumar continues with the Mumbai Indians for the 2026 season ahead. Contributing 11 wickets helped the 2025 campaign personally. The team trusts him to handle pressure situations now completely.
Mumbai’s championship-winning environment accelerates young bowlers’ development tremendously. His IPL team expects more wickets from him consistently. They need Indian death bowlers who bowl yorkers accurately. The management believes he’ll improve the economy rate with experience.
What Lies Ahead
Ashwani has played just 7 IPL matches till now. Those limited games brought 11 wickets which seems promising. One four-wicket haul proves his match-winning capabilities clearly. Expect bigger responsibilities coming his way throughout the next season.
