As the Mumbai Indians sent half of KKR's batting lineup back to the dugout in the first seven overs, debutant Ashwani Kumar hit the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane on his first IPL ball and went on to dismiss Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell. Ashwani Kumar of the Mumbai Indians made history on Monday, March 31, when he became the first bowler in the Indian Premier League to record more than three wickets in his maiden game. With a blistering burst of left-arm fast bowling against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium, the 23-year-old Punjabi player reached the milestone.

Tilak Varma made Ashwini's breakthrough with a spectacular catch after he fumbled at first but swiftly recovered to finish a one-handed grab at deep backward point.

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Ashwani, a native of Mohali, Punjab, has played first-class, List A, and Twenty20 cricket for Punjab. He lived up to the high expectations for his IPL debut. "First, we're going to bowl. The track is promising, and an early swing could be beneficial. After winning the toss, Hardik Pandya declared, "We have a debutant - Ashwani Kumar." Ashwani Kumar made a spectacular entrance onto the IPL scene with a wicket off his first ball.