"Darr ka mahoul tha,": Akash Madhwal was banned from bowling in local tournament, reveals Elder brother

Akash Madhwal, 29, represents Uttarakhand in domestic cricket.

Akash Madhwal rattled the formidable Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batting with a fiery spell in IPL 2023 Eliminator, picking up 5/5 for the Mumbai Indians (MI). This was a long way to come for the Uttarakhand pacer.

Just five years before, he had begun bowling with a proper leather ball, after gaining notoriety for his pace in tennis ball tournaments across Uttarakhand. His elder brother Ashish revealed that Akash Madhwal’s pace and bowling were so feared that he wasn’t allowed to play in local tournaments.

“Nobody let him play here. There was a lot of fear of his bowling. So, he was banned from the local tournaments.Darr ka mahoul tha (They feared him). Akash used to go outside of Roorkee and play. But yeah, his tennis ball days are done. He is so, so happy right now,” he told News18.

Ashish feels that MI captain Rohit Sharma has played a key role in Akash Madhwal’s impressive run in the ongoing IPL wherein in 7 matches, he has taken 13 wickets including nine in his last two games.

“The thing with Rohit bhai is that he gives players chances. He trusts his players and backs them. A new player is always scared for his position in the team. And Rohit has taken away that scare and Akash is delivering now,” Ashish said.  

Rohit Sharma assured Akash he would play in IPL 2023: Ashish Madhwal

Ashish recalls how Akash was given assurance by Rohit last year that he would soon play for MI after coming in as a replacement for the injured Suryakumar Yadav during the fag end of the season.

“When Suryakumar got injured in 2022, with 2-3 matches remaining, MI announced him as a replacement for the batter. That was their way of showing faith in Akash that he would be picked for the IPL 2023 squad. Rohit had told him that he would get a chance to play in the 2023 season,” he said.

Akash, 29, represents Uttarakhand in domestic cricket. He has so far played in 10 first-class matches, 17 List A games, and 29 T20s, and taken a combined 67 wickets in them.