In a stunning display of bowling prowess, young fast bowler Akash Madhwal stole the show at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai during the IPL 2023 Eliminator match. Madhwal’s exceptional performance, claiming five wickets for just five runs in 3.3 overs, not only guided the Mumbai Indians to victory over the Lucknow Super Giants but also placed him in an elite list that includes renowned names like Anil Kumble and Jasprit Bumrah. Surprisingly, Madhwal’s journey in cricket began with tennis ball cricket just four years ago, and he had never even touched a red ball until then, as reported by the Indian Express.
A former engineering student, Madhwal became the first cricketer from Uttarakhand to play in the IPL when he was selected by the Mumbai Indians as a replacement for the injured Suryakumar Yadav in 2022. His talent caught the attention of the Uttarakhand coach at the time, Wasim Jaffer, and the current coach, Manish Jha, leading to his initiation into training with the red ball.
Since then, Madhwal’s cricketing journey has been nothing short of a fairytale. He enjoyed a remarkable run in the domestic season, which eventually led to him being named the white-ball captain for Uttarakhand ahead of the 2023 domestic season.
Interestingly, Madhwal shares a special connection with India’s wicket-keeper batsman, Rishabh Pant. Both cricketers hail from the same region in Uttarakhand, and during his formative years, Madhwal received training from Avtar Singh, the same cricket coach who nurtured Pant before the latter moved to Delhi.
Mumbai Indians captain, Rohit Sharma, expressed his faith in Madhwal’s abilities, highlighting his presence in the team as a support bowler last year. Sharma acknowledged the skills and character possessed by Madhwal, emphasizing the track record of Mumbai Indians players transitioning to the national team. Following his outstanding performance, Madhwal will now seek to continue his growth as the Mumbai Indians face off against the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
With an incredible rise from playing tennis ball cricket to becoming a key player in the IPL, Akash Madhwal’s inspiring journey serves as a testament to the power of talent, hard work, and the opportunities that the league provides to promising cricketers.
