Ashwani Kumar had a dream debut for his IPL career, as he claimed four scalps against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on March 31. The left-arm pacer showed what a young uncapped player could do if provided an opportunity at the grand stage like the IPL. He joined the elite list of players who made a huge mark on their IPL debut. Like Kumar, some other players wasted no time in having an impact.
While one of them did not have an extended career, others are currently a part of the league. One of them has made a name for himself to be one of the best bowlers in the history of the league. These players have proved why IPL is a great platform for the youngsters to not just showcase their talent, but build on the momentum to have a good career.
4 Indian players with best bowling figures on IPL debut
4. Sandeep Sharma – 3/21 vs SRH in 2013
Sandeep Sharma is regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in IPL history. The right-arm pacer had a big impact right on his debut, as he showed his ability to swing the ball at decent pace. Sandeep debuted in the league with PBKS in 2013.Â
In the match against SRH, the medium pacer impressed everyone with his spell of 3/21. The star bowler took the wickets of Hanuma Vihari, Cameron White, and Biplab Samantray to restrict SRH to 150 runs. PBKS lost the match by 30 runs but Sandeep made a mark with the ball.
3. Vijaykumar Vyshak – 3/20 vs DC in 2023Â
Playing for RCB against Delhi Capitals, Vijaykumar Vyshak bowled a brilliant spell on his IPL debut as the right-arm pacer claimed 3/20 in his four overs. Vyshak showed his ability to vary pace, line, and lengths as he outfoxed some of the best batters in the world.
Defending 175 in Bengaluru, RCB needed early wickets and the pacer put his hand up as he picked the wickets of David Warner, Axar Patel, and Lalit Yadav. At one stage, RCB had DC at 128/9, however, Anrich Nortje’s blitz towards the end helped the visiting side to reduce the margin of loss. Vyshak’s spell helped RCB to beat DC comfortably by 23 runs.
2. Amit Singh – 3/9 vs PBKS in 2009Â
Amit Singh had a terrific season with the ball for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2009. In five matches that season, the right-arm pacer claimed nine wickets at a bowling average of 10.56 and strike rate of 11.67. His economy was an impressive 5.43, with best bowling figures of 4/19.
On his debut against PBKS, the former RR pacer bowled a brilliant spell, where he claimed 3/9 in his spell of 4 overs. In his sensational spell, Amit claimed the wickets of Sunny Sohal, Karan Goel, and Yuvraj Singh. Singh helped RR to beat PBKS by a huge margin of 78 runs.
1. Ashwani Kumar – 4/24 vs KKR in 2025
Amit’s record for the best spell by an Indian debutant in the history of the league stood for nearly 16 years. However, Ashwani Kumar‘s effort in IPL 2025 against KKR has displaced him. The young left-arm pacer claimed 4/24 in his spell of three overs and became the first Indian bowler to claim four wickets on the IPL debut.
The emerging pacer took the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell. His spell changed the game completely, as MI dismissed KKR for a total of just 116 runs. Kumar’s highly impactful spell helped MI to claim their first win of the IPL 2025.
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