Ashwani Kumar chose cricket over stable job, denied shifting from Punjab, reveals Punjab teammate

Ashwani Kumar showed his bowling brilliance with a stunning entry in IPL 2025.

Mumbai Indians (MI) have always brought incredible young talents into Indian Premier League (IPL) and IPL 2025 is no different. This time, bowler Ashwani Kumar has made the headlines with his four-wicket haul for MI on his debut against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 31.

Notably, it has come to the limelight that Ashwani was offered a stable job last year in Mohali. However, he did not accept the offer as it forced him to leave Mohali and affect his commitments to the game.

Ashwani Kumar turned down job opportunity last year: Mandeep Singh

Former Punjab cricketer Mandeep Singh has played domestic cricket with Kumar in the past. During a chat with the English daily newspaper Times of India, he revealed that the MI bowler rejected a good job offer last year to keep his commitment to cricket. He also added that Kumar has a very humble background.

“Ashwani comes from a very humble background, yet he regularly traveled to Mohali for practice. His determination was evident when he turned down a job opportunity in 2024 that would have provided financial stability but required him to leave Punjab,” said Mandeep Singh, who represented India Under-19 team in World Cup 2010.

Kumar was sidelined for years due to injuries

Mandeep Singh also highlighted how Ashwani lost opportunities due to injuries and intense competition in Punjab Cricket.

“Ashwani made his debut for Punjab in 2019. However, he was sidelined for three to four years due to multiple injuries. The intense competition for opportunities in the Punjab cricket team further limited his game time.

“Despite these setbacks, he never lost heart and kept working hard to make a mark as a cricketer. I am eager to fight on and play for Punjab. I don’t want to give up.’ concluded Mandeep Singh, who played with Ashwani Kumar in Sher-E-Punjab T20 league.

MI pacer Ashwani picked a 4-wicket haul against KKR

Interestingly, Ashwani has shown his bowling brilliance with a stunning entry in IPL 2025. The left-arm pacer clinched a four-wicket haul on his IPL debut, becoming the first ever Indian bowler to do so. He finished with figures of 4/24 in three overs against KKR.

Hardik Pandya-led MI restricted KKR for 116/10 in the first innings and chased down the target by eight wickets like a cakewalk. Kumar stole the Player of the Match award with his impeccable show.

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