Nita Ambani Turns Scounter: Selected An Auto Driver's Son For Mumbai Indians Who's Now An IPL Star

Indian Premier League (IPL) will top the trending charts until the finale on May 25, 2025. The 18th edition started with a bang, as we witnessed a series of jaw-dropping moments during the opening matches. Today, we are going to talk about one such story that has taken Indian cricket by storm. On March 23, 2025, Mumbai Indians went to Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai for their opening match of IPL 2025 against Chennai Super Kings. 

Vignesh Puthur's story: Meet Mumbai Indians' young spinner who took three wickets against Chennai Super Kings on his IPL debut

CSK won the match by four wickets, but the headlines were dominated by the name of MI's 24-year-old young bowler, who took three crucial wickets on his IPL debut. The bowler we are talking about is Vignesh Puthur, who was signed by Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2025 auction for a price tag of just Rs. 30 lakhs. On his debut match in the IPL, Vignesh Puthur took crucial wickets of three Chennai Super Kings players, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda.

Courtesy of his exceptional bowling performance on his debut IPL match against such a strong side, Vignesh Puthur received the 'Best Bowler' award on the night. The youngster received the award from the co-owner of Mumbai Indians, Nita Ambani. The left-arm wrist spinner received a special pin from Nita Ambani to put on his T-shirt. After receiving the award, Vignesh touched Nita Ambani's feet, which speaks volumes about his upbringing and culture. 

Vignesh Puthur's family background: Mumbai Indians' bowler is the son of an auto driver

Vignesh Puthur is a young bowler from Kerala, and what's interesting is that he hasn't played at the senior level for Kerala but has already made his mark in IPL. Vignesh was born on March 2, 2001, in Perinthalmanna, Malappuram district. The spin-bowler all-rounder comes from an extremely modest family background. While his mother, KP Bindu, is a homemaker, Vignesh's father, Sunil Kumar, is an auto driver.

The cricketer's family struggled heavily financially to keep Vignesh's dream of cricketing alive, but his parents managed finances in such a way that their kid was able to make it. Talking about Vignesh Puthur's educational qualifications, he is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Literature from Perinthalmanna's PTM Government College. The young spinner tasted recognition for the first time in his life when he was in college and performed miraculously in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL). 

Mumbai Indians' co-owner, Nita Ambani, scouted auto driver's son, Vignesh Puthur and gave him a chance to play in the IPL

Under Mohammad Azharuddin's guidance, Vignesh Puthur managed to turn heads with his bowling. In the Kerela Cricket League (KCL), Vignesh used to play for Alleppey Ripples, and when he picked two crucial wickets in three matches, it caught the eyes of Mumbai Indians' scouts. When the scouts reportedly informed Nita Ambani about the youngster, she wasted no time signing him for just Rs. 30 lakhs for IPL 2025.

After joining Mumbai Indians, Vignesh Puthir was sent to Cape Town to train under the iconic Sri Lankan bowler and MI's bowling coach, Lasith Malinga. During the training camp in Cape Town, Vignesh Puthur also won the SA20 tournament while learning a lot from the famous Afghanistan bowler, Rashid Khan.

It's incredible the way Nita Ambani put her complete trust in Vignesh Puthur despite knowing that he hadn't played at the senior level and still giving him the chance to showcase his skill on the biggest stage. We hope owners of other teams learn from this and start putting faith in youngsters and allowing them to shine. We hope Vignesh gets more opportunities to play for Mumbai Indians and end this season with good numbers.

What are your thoughts on Vignesh Puthur's inspirational journey from playing in the Kerala Cricket League to clinching three crucial wickets on his IPL debut? Let us know.

Also Read: Meet KKR's Sunil Narine: IPL's Mystery Spinner's Marriage With Nandita Kumar And Anjellia Suchit

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)