Chennai: Playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025, 23-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur from Kerala took big wickets like Shivam Dubey and Ruturaj Gaikwad in his very first match against Chennai Super Kings. There is an interesting story behind Vignesh.
Vignesh is a brilliant bowler
Vignesh was included in the team of Mumbai Indians team at a base price of Rs 30 lakh. Vignesh has not played a single match for the senior team of Kerala yet and he has impressed everyone with his bowling. Vignesh Puthur entered the match as an 'impact player' for Mumbai Indians. As soon as he came, he took the valuable wicket of Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Vignesh bowled a full ball outside the off-stump to Gaikwad, which he hit straight into the hands of Will Jacks standing below.
In his second over, Vignesh dismissed Shivam Dubey, whose catch was taken by Tilak Verma at long-on. Deepak Hooda also fell prey to Puthur when he tried to sweep a slog and got caught by the fielder at deep square leg.
Vignesh hails from Kerala
23-year-old Vignesh Puthur hails from Malappuram, Kerala. He has played for the state at the Under-14 and Under-19 level. Vignesh has also played for Alleppey Ripples in the Kerala Cricket League, where he took just two wickets in three matches. He has also spent some time in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. In his early days, Vignesh used to bowl medium pace and spin. Then local cricketer Mohammed Sharif advised him to do leg spin. He did not know about 'Chinaman', but he continued to work on his bowling.
This is how his career progressed
After this, he moved to Thrissur to pursue his cricket career. There he performed brilliantly in the Kerala College Premier T20 League for St. Thomas College and was one of the best bowlers. After consistently performing well for Jolly Rovers Cricket Club, he got a place in the Alleppey Ripples team for KCL, which changed his career.
Vignesh is the son of an auto driver
Vignesh's story is an inspiration for those youth who come from small towns and dream big. He has shown that if you have talent and are ready to work hard, you can achieve anything. Vignesh's reaching the IPL is a story of perseverance stemming from a simple beginning. His father Sunil Kumar is an auto driver and his mother KP Bindu is a housewife. Despite the financial challenges, his parents have remained steadfast in their support for his cricketing aspirations.
