Who is Vignesh Puthur? All you need to know about Mumbai Indians spinner

Mumbai Indians (MI) lost their IPL 2025 opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai, but one major positive emerged from that game—the impressive debut of 24-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur from Kerala.

When Vignesh was brought in as an impact player, replacing Rohit Sharma, fans were shocked since he had yet to play a single T20 match. However, he made an immediate impact, dismissing CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda. 

His performance gave MI fans some hope, but unfortunately, his efforts went in vain as the team lost. Still, overnight, Vignesh became a star, and cricket fans are now eager to learn more about his journey.

Vignesh hails from Malappuram, Kerala. His father, Sunil Kumar, is an auto-rickshaw driver, while his mother, K.P. Bindhu, is a homemaker. To pursue his cricketing dreams, he moved to Thrissur, where he played for St. Thomas College and completed a Master’s in Literature. Initially a medium-pacer, he later transitioned into a spin bowler. 

His breakthrough came in the inaugural edition of the Kerala Cricket League, where he played for Alleppey Ripples. He then had a stint in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. Despite not yet representing Kerala at the senior level, he has played age-group cricket, including Under-23 matches. 

How did MI spot and bring Vignesh Puthur into the IPL?

MI spotted him during the Kerala Cricket League, and after he attended trials ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, they secured him for ₹30 lakh. Before the tournament, MI sent him to South Africa for the third edition of SA20, where he was a net bowler for MI Cape Town. 

This allowed him to train alongside Rashid Khan, one of the world’s best wrist-spinners in T20 cricket. Speaking about Vignesh’s selection during the post-match press conference, MI bowling coach Paras Mhambrey explained what the team saw in him. 

He said, "I think the idea at MI is always seeing the potential more than anything else. And when we saw him in one of our trials, we saw the potential in him rather than focusing on how much cricket he had played in the past."

Mhambrey also revealed that Vignesh had troubled MI’s top batters in the nets, which played a role in his debut selection. "I think when Rohit [Sharma], Surya [Kumar Yadav], and Tilak [Varma] batted against him, they felt it was not that easy. So, that was one of the reasons we had the confidence to push him into this game," he concluded.

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