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Who Is Robin Minz? The Young Power-Hitter Making His Debut In MI vs CSK Clash

Jatin

Who Is Robin Minz? [Source: @RobinMinzFC/x.com]Who Is Robin Minz? [Source: @RobinMinzFC/x.com]

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Mumbai Indians pulled a surprise right out of the hat when they named Robin Minz in their playing XI for the IPL 2025 opener against CSK at Chepauk. The move turned heads and rightly so.

Not every day you see a 22-year-old, relatively unknown face, slot into the XI of the most decorated IPL franchise. But there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

Who Is Robin Minz? The First Adivasi Cricketer Making His IPL Debut for MI

Minz was picked up by Mumbai Indians for INR 65 lakh at the IPL 2025 auction after a fierce bidding war, one that CSK were also involved in. That tells you something. Both franchises don’t just throw cash around without doing their homework. MI had been tracking him closely  through their development camps in the UK and the DY Patil tourney in Mumbai.

Minz isn’t your textbook batter. He’s the kind who walks in and starts swinging from the hip. Generates insane bat speed, hits big, and can even pull off the helicopter shot.

Nicknames follow talent, and for Minz, they’ have come in plenty. Some call him “Jharkhand’s Chris Gayle”, others say he’s the “next Dhoni”. Both tags are heavy. But the lad doesn’t seem fazed.

He first grabbed headlines when Gujarat Titans bought him in the IPL 2024 mini auction, a historic moment as he became the first Adivasi (tribal) cricketer to be picked in the IPL. But just as fate would have it, a bike accident ruled him out before he could make his debut. Just like that, the dream had to wait.


From Humble Beginnings To The MI Dugout

Minz hails from Jharkhand, and his journey hasn’t been a walk in the park. No silver spoons, no fancy academies, just hard work and talent. In age-group cricket, he made waves. One of his knocks: a gritty 77 off 80 balls against Haryana in the Col. CK Nayudu Trophy had folks sitting up and taking notice.

Minz has scored 67 runs in 7 T20s so far at an average of 16.75 and a strike rate of 181.08. He made his first-class debut for Jharkhand this season. But MI clearly believe he’s got the goods. And if there’s any team that knows how to polish rough diamonds, it’s them.

Now that he’s finally made his debut, and for a team like Mumbai Indians, fireworks are guaranteed. He’s waited long, fought setbacks, and now has the stage.

Robin Minz might be new to the IPL limelight but don’t be surprised if he becomes a name everyone’s talking about by the end of the season. The lad can hit a long ball. And with the backing of a franchise like MI, he has got every chance to make it count.