Never Thought I'd Be Playing With These Big Names: MI's Vignesh Puthur

Mumbai Indians (MI) slipped to defeat against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their first game of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 23 (Sunday), but they unearthed a new star in Vignesh Puthur.

All of 24 years old, Puthur, who hails from Kerala, had not played a single professional match before the CSK game. But he came in as an impact sub and single-handedly kept MI in the contest, taking 3/32, scalping three huge wickets in Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda. 

MI transforming rookies into stars has been a common occurrence over the years, and Puthur ended up breaking the internet on the back of his stellar showing.

In a video posted on MI’s social media handles, the youngster was awarded the ‘Best bowler’ award by franchise owner Nita Ambani.

“I want to thank the MI franchise for giving me the opportunity to play the match,” said Puthur, who came in as an impact substitute for Rohit Sharma.

“I never thought in my life I would be playing with all these [big] players. I am very happy,” he added.

ALSO READ: Who Is Vignesh Puthur, Kerala Spinner Debuting For MI Who's Played 0 T20s?

Puthur further credited MI’s skipper on the night, Suryakumar Yadav, for helping him settle in and express himself on the field.

"Thanks to my teammates for supporting me,” he added.