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From Streets Of Kerala To Chepauk  Heroics; How Did MI Script Vignesh Puthur's IPL Fairytale?

Soumyajit Dutta

Vignesh Puthur and SKY [Source: @thundarrstorm/X]Vignesh Puthur and SKY [Source: @thundarrstorm/X]

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Under the blazing Chennai lights, amidst a sea of yellow jerseys and roaring chants, an unassuming 24-year-old from Malappuram scripted a debut for the ages. Vignesh Puthur, son of an auto-rickshaw driver, spun magic with his chinaman deliveries, scalping 3/32 against a star-studded CSK. 

Puthur's journey, from bowling in Kerala’s obscure leagues to becoming Mumbai Indians’ (MI) latest gem was a testament to grit, scouting brilliance, and dreams that outshine circumstance.

How Vignesh Got The Vision?

Picked for INR 30 lakh at the IPL auction after dazzling MI’s scouts with his precision and calm under pressure, Puthur’s rise was no accident. Months of grinding as a net bowler with MI Cape Town in SA20, learning from Rashid Khan, and honing his craft in the DY Patil T20 tournament forged a diamond ready to shine.

MI’s scouting team, known for unearthing raw talent, spotted Puthur in the Kerala Cricket League. Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey minced no words while praising the scouting team's hard work.

“We have good guys who can spot talent. I think the idea with MI is seeing the potential more than anything else. And when we saw him for one of our trials, we saw the potential in him. Rather than looking into how much cricket he's played in the past. But it's purely thought that he has the potential. And you saw that today.”

The Rohit-Surya Seal of Approval

Puthur’s trial by fire came in MI’s nets, where he bamboozled the franchise’s star batters. Mhambrey revealed that even Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were also having trouble picking on him!

“Rohit, Surya, Tilak, all these guys batted against him… it wasn’t easy to pick him. So one of the reasons we felt that we have the confidence of pushing him in this game. And it turned out to be excellent. It was a good decision."

Pressure? A Privilege

On debut, Puthur’s wickets of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda weren’t just about skill, they were about nerve. Behind the scenes, mentors like Mahela Jayawardene and Kieron Pollard groomed his mindset. 

“Yes, he hasn’t played much cricket. But we got an opportunity to work with him… more about the conversations he had with MJ or Pollard or the batters, especially Surya and Rohit. That really helped him understand his role,” Mhambrey explained.

Dhoni’s Nod and the “Sponge” Mentality

Post-match, Puthur lived a dream, a chat with MS Dhoni. The cameras panned towards them while Dhoni left a pat on his shoulders leaving the youngster starstruck. 

From Jasprit Bumrah to Tilak Varma, MI’s blueprint thrives on turning unknowns into icons. Puthur’s fairytale start has ignited that hope again. For the auto-driver’s son from Kerala, this is just the first chapter. The whistle gang of Chepauk won’t forget his name anytime soon.