From borrowing Rs 30 to earning Rs 30 lakhs: Struggles behind the success of MI debutant Ashwani Kumar

Mumbai Indians (MI) seem to have given rise to yet another pace-bowling star in the form of Ashwani Kumar, who made an unforgettable debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on March 3 and made way for his team to a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The youngster from Mohali was the star with the ball, as he came out of the match with a number of 4/24.

Ashwani Sharma was bought by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs. 30 lakh in the IPL mega auction, which was held November last year in Jeddah. After the record-holding performance, he is now taking the internet by storm. However, the 23-year-old had to face severe hardships before this gain in popularity.

during a conversation with The Indian Express, Ashwani’s father opened up on how the youngster was dedicated to the game when growing up, giving all he got in order to craft and improve his skills.

“Rain or hot sun, Ashwani would never hesitate to go to PCA at Mohali or later at the new stadium at Mullanpur. Sometimes, he would cycle to PCA academy or take lifts or would go in shared autos,” Indian Express quoted his father Harkesh Kumar as saying.

“I remember he would take Rs 30 from me for the fare, and when he was picked up for Rs 30 lakh by Mumbai Indians in the mega auction, I knew his worth was every penny. After each wicket today, I would think about those days when he would return at 10 PM after his training and again wake up the next day at 5 AM to head back,” he added.

“He attended trials for IPL sides but he always wanted to be like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc. His friends would pool money to get him cricket balls and when he was picked up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 30 lakh, the first thing he did was to get cricket kits and balls distributed in the academies near our village. He always used to tell me that his favourite jersey would the one that has his own name, and with today’s performance, he has made sure that kids will wear his name jersey,” said his elder brother Shiv Rana.

After breaking through the KKR batting lineup, Ashwani emerged as the Player of the Match for Mumbai Indians. Now, MI will face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 4.

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