Who is Vignesh Puthur? 5 interesting facts about MI debutant who took 3/32 in IPL 2025 clash vs CSK

Left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur, 24, who made his IPL debut in the 2025 season clash between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday, March 23, has taken everyone by storm with his dream debut. He was acquired by Mumbai for ₹30 lakhs during the mega auction last year.

Coming in as an impact player in the second innings for Mumbai, Vignesh made the most of the opportunity. He returned with figures of 3/32 on his debut, including the big wickets of Chennai captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, and Deepak Hooda.

While his efforts went in vain as CSK eventually won the match, the youngster left a lasting impression and certainly has a bright future as the tournament progresses.

Vignesh Puthur made a name for himself in the inaugural edition of the Kerala Cricket League. He played for Alleppey Ripples under former RCB player Mohammad Azharuddeen, after which Mumbai's scouts discovered the young wrist-spinner.

That said, here are five interesting facts you may not have known about the Mumbai Indians' debutant.

---

#5 Vignesh Puthur comes from a humble background

Hailing from Malappuram in Kerala, Vignesh Puthur comes from a fairly humble background. The 24-year-old's father, Sunil Kumar, works as an auto driver and his mother, KP Bindu, is a homemaker (via My Khel).

However, despite being from a humble background, Puthur has received support from his parents to pursue his dream of playing professional cricket. Therefore, it has been an inspirational journey as he is now playing in the IPL for a team with five trophies.

---

#4 He began as a medium pacer in his early days

Interestingly, Vignesh Puthur used to bowl medium pace when he started off in his early days, as reported by Sportstar. He also bowled spin before he eventually turned into a leg-spinner. While he not aware of what 'wrist-spin' was, he simply worked on his bowling over the years.

It was a local cricketer named Mohammed Sherif who had asked Puthur to try his hand at bowling leg-spin, which eventually worked well for the youngster after which there has been no looking back.

---

#3 He has not played senior-level cricket for Kerala

While Vignesh Puthur has now already made his IPL debut, the wrist-spinner is yet to play senior level cricket for Kerala. He has represented Kerala at the U-14 and U-19 levels so far.

He also played in the Kerala Cricket League for the Alleppey Ripples, as mentioned above. Puthur played in the Kerala College Premier T20 league for St. Thomas College and also played for Jolly Rovers Cricket Club before the KCL. Moreover, he also had a short stint in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).

---

#2 Balancing academics and cricket

Vignesh Puthur is also currently studying, pursuing an MA in Literature at the PTM Government College in Perinthalmanna. The 24-year-old is just not playing cricket but also focusing on his education.

He is therefore balancing his academics and passion to play cricket professionally at the same time. He shifted his base from Malappuram to Thrissur to further pursue his journey in cricket as well.

---

#1 Puthur was a net bowler for MI Cape Town

Vignesh Puthur, for those unknown, was sent to Cape Town in South Africa and was a net bowler for Mumbai Indians' franchise MI Cape Town in the SA20 League (via MyKhel).

He was sent there to train with the team and also worked under the guidance of Afghanistan all-rounder Rashid Khan, who is a part of MI Cape Town in SA20. Puthur's performance on debut clearly reflects his learning from his trip to South Africa as a net bowler.