Categories: CricketIPL

Meet Vignesh Puthur, The Left-Arm Wrist Spinner Making Waves In IPL 2025

Vignesh Puthur made his IPL debut when he replaced Rohit Sharma in the Mumbai Indians’ match against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on March 23. He was one of MI’s five Impact Players for the game against their rivals.

From Kerala Cricket League to IPL: The Journey of Vignesh Puthur

The 24-year-old was bought by MI for INR 30 lakh in last year’s mega auction in Jeddah. Interestingly, Vignesh has not yet played at the senior level for Kerala. However, MI’s scouts were impressed by his performance in the 2025 Kerala Cricket League, which took place in September of the previous year.

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The young player represented Alleppey Ripples in the 2024 Kerala Cricket League (KCL). Although he took only three wickets in two games, his unique bowling style caught the attention of Mumbai Indians’ recruitment team. After that, he was invited to take part in three trials organized by MI to showcase his skills.

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Vignesh Puthur Reflects on His Emotional IPL Auction Experience

Vignesh Puthur’s background is inspiring. He is the son of Sunil Kumar P, an autorickshaw driver, and Bindhu PK, a homemaker. After being selected by MI for IPL 2025, he shared the emotional journey he went through during the 2024 auction process.

“I switched off my TV before the accelerated round of auction began and was preparing to sleep when one of my friends called me and told me that I had been bought by MI. At first, I thought they were trying to play a prank on me. I scrolled the website and saw my name in the Mumbai Indians squad. It was unbelievable,” stated Puthur, as quoted by Times Of India.

The young talent also shared his cricket journey, including how he transitioned into bowling left-arm wrist-spin. He credited a local club cricketer, Mohammed Sherif, for advising him to take up this unique bowling style.

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“At that time, I didn’t know what ‘chinaman’ was. I kept working on my deliveries and got into the Malappuram District Cricket Academy three years later. I also played for Kerala at the U-14 and U-19 levels but never progressed further and played for Jolly Rovers, Perinthalmanna at the club level,” added Puthur.

Puthur, who looks up to Kuldeep Yadav as his idol, also shared his experience of meeting head coach Mahela Jayawardene during his first trial with the franchise.

“Mahela sir knew I was nervous, so he came up to me and advised me to take it easy, and I became more confident. I attended two more trials. I was hoping that they would take me as a nets bowler,” noted Vignesh.

MS Dhoni appreciating Vignesh Puthur

Meanwhile, after the match, legendary cricketer MS Dhoni went to the young talent of Mumbai Indians and appreciated him. The video of the same is going viral on the internet, watch it here:

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Unnati Madan

Unnati is a passionate cricket writer with a deep love and understanding of the game. As a female cricket writer, she brings a unique perspective to the sport, having had to overcome various challenges to pursue her passion for cricket. Growing up, Unnati developed a love for cricket by watching matches with her family. She was always fascinated by the way the game was played, and would often spend hours reading about cricket, analyzing matches, and learning more about the sport. However, as a female in a male-dominated industry, she faced numerous obstacles to pursue her passion for cricket writing. Despite this, Unnati persevered and became an accomplished writer in the field. Unnati’s writing style is engaging and insightful, with a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the nuances of the game. Her articles are known for their depth of analysis, and she is often sought after for her strong opinions on the sport. Unnati has a unique ability to break down complex ideas and make them accessible to a wide audience, which has helped her build a large following of readers.