IPL 2025: Rough seas have made Mumbai Indians’ find Vignesh Puthur a better sailor

Sunil Kumar and his wife Bindu did not expect to see their son, Vignesh Puthur, make his debut for the Mumbai Indians in the side’s very first match of the season in Chennai.

With an intimidating Chennai Super Kings batting line-up to deal with, MI brought in the 24-year-old left-arm spinner, who took to the big stage like a duck takes to water.

Sunil, who drives an auto in Perinthalmanna, has faced many financial challenges in helping his son achieve his dreams.

“When we saw him step out in Chepauk, we had tears. He got here without making it to the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare,” the proud parents told The Hindu.

A thirst to achieve

“Rough seas make a better sailor. Vignesh was nursing a lot of pain because when he had the chance to make it into the state U19 and U23 sides and bowl well there, he couldn’t. That feeling, that those around him had what he didn’t, kept him going. He was clear that when he got a platform, he needed to perform,” Vignesh’s childhood coach, Vijayan, told the publication.

Left-arm wrist spin bowlers are a rare breed in cricket. Vignesh’s beginnings too were with pace bowling before he settled into life as a tweaker.

“It’s one thing to have quality coaching available, but a whole other ball game to actually imbibe what’s being taught. A child of 11 is barely at an age to understand chinaman bowling. Leg spin is one of the hardest skills in cricket. Your wrists need to be flexible. You can’t have a robotic movement. Your entire action should flow like liquid, from loading to bowling,” he said.

Vijayan’s understanding of spin bowling came from the ‘Dronacharya of Indian cricket’ – Vasoo Paranjape. While working in Muscat, Vijayan had the chance to assist the legendary Indian coach with the Oman national side.

Rough diamond

“Everything I taught Vignesh is what Vasoo Paranjape sir taught me about being a high-quality leg spinner. The legendary coach is Vignesh’s guru’s guru,” he quipped.

“Kerala has 14 districts. At the age-group level, only Vignesh was there to fly the flag of left-arm spin. He learned things constantly. He perfected his googly in six months. I am not talking about match accuracy, but about getting the technique of the action right,” Vijayan explained.

Much like Vignesh’s parents, Vijayan too had a nervy time watching MI’s opening game at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

“Watching MI bat, I realised this was not an easy track and Vignesh getting a chance on it would be a blessing. We saw his name in the impact player list. He showed the maturity equivalent of playing 10 IPL games. He dismisses their main batters. That first impression counts. He had the confidence of captain Suryakumar Yadav, enough to give him a go even in the tight overs. He had a favourable pitch. Things fell in line,” Vijayan said.

Vignesh had stints in the Kerala Premier League and Tamil Nadu Premier League. These weren’t flashy performances in terms of wickets, but they gave Vijayan confidence to see the smoothness in his action. He was scouted soon after by Mumbai Indians in their trials in Thiruvananthapuram and then picked for INR 30 Lakh in the auction.

The team then flew him to South Africa – his maiden trip outside India – to work with Rashid Khan and Lasith Malinga, under the watchful eyes of head coach Mahela Jayawardene.

Vijayan was worried about how Vignesh, an introvert, would fare in his first tryst with the cut-throat world of franchise cricket.

“In Mumbai, he’s rubbing shoulders with giants. When you stand in a group that has names like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav, you will think you belong there and grow,” the coach noted.

“(Mahela) Jayawardene told Vignesh, ‘You’re as important as Bumrah to me.’ Imagine a young, unheralded bowler hearing this. We’ve discovered the rough diamond, definitely, but he’s being polished by the Mumbai Indians,” he added.

Validation

An otherwise quiet life for Vignesh’s parents and coach turned on its head on Sunday night. With three big wickets in the game and a pat on the shoulder from the legendary M.S. Dhoni himself, relatives, friends, and media hounded their phones.

“Club cricket is what most kids have done in this neighbourhood. Vignesh has gone beyond it all. He was very excited when he called us after the game. We only hope he keeps getting chances,” Sunil said.

Malappuram district is known for its football culture and passionate fandom, which Sunil’s father attributes to infrastructure.

“I played football when I was younger. There were barely any takers for cricket. It also comes down to the infrastructure available for both sports. You just need open space for football, but cricket needs more dedicated facilities. It is largely the case even today,” he noted.

This very factor is what Vijayan contributed to Kerala’s dull showing in the domestic scene over the past few decades.

“After spending months training and playing, May to September gets completely ruined for cricketers due to the monsoon. It is why we sometimes come off as rusty when facing quality opposition like in the Ranji Trophy.

“The opening of an indoor cricket stadium between Manjeri and Perinthalmanna was a game-changer. It meant teams could train and play, and batters weren’t off their routines due to the conditions.”

With cricket’s growing popularity in the region and the likes of homegrown talent like Sanju Samson making waves in the franchise and international scenes, Vijayan found himself facing a unique proposition.

“Some people overenthusiastically ask if they should pull their kid from studies entirely. I always discourage that notion. Any given year, the harsh reality is that the Kerala cricket team will have a maximum of two to three vacancies. The full 15 will never be replaced entirely. Those three slots are what we’re working towards. If that doesn’t work, then there needs to be a backup.

“Vignesh pursued his graduation otherwise, at 19 or 23 years old, you might have to go back to class 9 and 10 and then start all over again. I always tell parents to pursue cricket and studies side by side,” he added, taking Vignesh – who has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature – as an example.

That said, the interest is a massive departure from the naysayers Vijayan usually encountered, asking him why their children should spend their time playing a sport they won’t, in all likelihood, grow in.

“There’s a boy from Malappuram district who has been scouted by the Mumbai Indians and is playing on the biggest stage. Several people have asked me what’s the point of these boys picking up a bat and ball in Perinthalmanna. THIS is the answer,” Vijayan concluded.