At the age of 24, without having played for even his state side, Kerala, this young man did not let the occasion of his debut overwhelm him. In front of a packed Chepauk crowd, which always appreciates good cricket, he bowled an outstanding spell. Vignesh Puthur joined the list of talent being unearthed by the Mumbai Indians’ scouting team, who are known to be this machinery of spotting and backing young talents.
Credits-India Today
Early Life & Spotlight
Vignesh Puthur hails from Malappuram, Kerala. His father Sunil Kumar, is an autorickshaw driver and his mother, K.P. Bindhu, is a homemaker. Hailing from a lower-middle-class family, his father gave up running an agency for a popular biscuit brand, in order to bolster Vignesh’s cricket career.
As it is with most cricketers, one of Vignesh’s friends took him to Perinthalmanna Cricket Academy, run by CG Vijayakumar, at the age of 10. According to Vijayakumar, Vignesh was a natural talent. With rubbery wrists, and nice loading and follow-through, his bowling action was smooth. He was also able to bring in the googly to his armory within a year.
Vignesh started to grab headlines while playing for the Alleppey Ripples in the inaugural edition of the Kerala Cricket League in 2024. He picked 13 wickets from 16 games, and his economy stood out aloof. Although he played for Kerala U-23, he is yet to make his debut for his senior state team.
Credit: Latestly
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Mumbai Indians Scouts Vignesh Puthur
Mumbai Indians, who are known for their ability to spot talents from remote places, scouted Vignesh Puthur, while he was playing in the KCL. Former Indian pacer TA Sekar, was very impressed with Vignesh.
According to Sekar, “He had a very good action. He was flighting the ball well, and spinning both ways. I always go for a good technique and see if a bowler has variations. I observed both of those factors during the two matches I saw Vignesh in before recommending him for trials”.
In the trials, Vignesh caught the eyes of the Mumbai Management with his rare ability to be a left-arm wrist spinner. He displayed good variations in both speeds as well as turning the ball both ways.
At the auction, MI bought Vignesh Puthur for 30 Lakhs at his base price. After the auction, the Mumbai Indians’ management sent Vignesh Puthur to South Africa to train with one of the best wrist spinners of modern times, Rashid Khan, who was part of the MI Cape Town team. This would have been an enormous opportunity for Vignesh to hone his skills and brush shoulders with the modern-day maestro.
He also played in the DY Patil tournament in Navi Mumbai. This is a tournament where the domestic players who are part of the MI setup feature in. This experience would have also come in handy for him to bowl in tough situations.
IPL Debut
In MI’s first game of the 2025 season, after setting a meager target of 156, MI brought in Vignesh as the impact sub for the second innings. With CSK cruising along at 74/1 at the end of seven overs, Vignesh came to bowl. He dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of the CSK, for 53. He picked two more wickets of Deepak Hooda and Shivam Dube, the latter who has got the reputation of being a “murderer of spin”.
Credit: Mid Day
What stood out was his confidence and fearlessness to loop the ball and give it a lot more air. He beat the batters in flight and dip. He also spun the ball both ways. Vignesh proved that there is still a case for age-old spin bowling to survive in this batting-dominant era.
The way he picked Dube’s wicket was a classic dismissal too. He lured Dube into the big shot and beat him in flight, resulting in a simple catch at long-on. Even though MI lost the game, they fought till the very end, thanks to Vignesh’s spell. His spell got appreciation even from another uncapped player, who is an all-time great, MS Dhoni who gave him a pat on his shoulder.
His parents were elated. The hardships they endured to nurture his passion had finally borne fruit. A video of his mother dancing with joy after he took his first wicket went viral, capturing hearts across the internet.
As an Indian cricket fan, one can only hope that Vignesh continues to work hard and one day joins Kuldeep Yadav as part of the rare league of left-arm chinaman bowlers, winning matches for the country. With his unique skill set and unwavering determination, Vignesh has all the makings of a future star. The journey has just begun, and the best is yet to come!
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