Ashwani Kumar who claimed 4 massive KKR wickets always maintained that his favourite cricket Jersey would be the one with his own name on it.
Ashwani Kumar Life and Struggle
As 23-year-old pacer Ashwani Kumar steamed in with his effortless run-up, dismantling Kolkata Knight Riders’ batting lineup—including skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell—at Wankhede, his father, Harkesh Kumar, found his gaze fixed on an old cycle resting in a corner.
That very cycle had often carried his son across 11 kilometers from their village, Jhanjheri, to the IS Bindra PCA Stadium, where he honed his craft.
Owning just one and a half acres of land, Harkesh could no longer hold back his tears, joined by his wife, Meena Rani, and elder son, Shiv Rana, as they watched Ashwani’s dreams take flight.
“Be it pouring rain or scorching sun, Ashwani Kumar never wavered in his commitment—whether cycling to the PCA Academy in Mohali, hitching rides, or squeezing into shared autos. I still remember him asking me for ₹30 for the fare, and when Mumbai Indians secured him for ₹30 lakh in the mega auction, I knew every penny had been worth it. Today, with each wicket he took, my mind raced back to those days—when he’d return home exhausted at 10 PM after training, only to wake up at 5 AM and do it all over again.”
As Ashwani Kumar’s friends—Dr. Jaspreet Soni, Dr. Baljinder Singh, and Mohit Rana—along with a group of 20 enthusiastic youths began gathering firecrackers to celebrate his meteoric rise, Soni pointed towards the Government Senior Secondary School in their village. It was here, back in 2014, that a young Ashwani first picked up a cricket ball, playing alongside his childhood friend Aman Thakur.
In his early years at the PCA Academy, he shared the field with talents like Abhishek Sharma, Ramandeep Singh, and Arshdeep Singh, steadily honing his craft before making his Ranji Trophy debut for Punjab in 2019.
“Ashwani Kumar always pushed us to show up at the school ground early in the morning, no excuses,” recalls his elder brother, Shiv Rana. “Most of us would face his bowling at that very ground. He’d often head to other village cricket grounds to play for local teams and then gather us again in the evening for another round of matches. Back then, he bowled pace wearing ordinary canvas shoes, while friends like Chahat Rana—who’s now in Italy—and others helped him out by arranging cricket balls and spikes. His dream was always to play at the highest level and make us proud, and today, he has done just that.”
Ashwani Kumar first caught the eye of Mohali Cricket Association coach Harwinder Baidwan in 2016 at the MCA Ground near the PCA Stadium. Baidwan recalls that being a left-arm pacer gave Ashwani an edge among the 200 aspiring cricketers training there.
“As coaches, we always look for fast bowlers with strong physiques, and Ashwani Kumar had that naturally,” Baidwan explains. “We focused on refining his landing foot and front-running technique. Over time, he developed a lethal bouncer and effective short balls. He could also swing the ball with sharp seam movement, which became a key weapon for him at a young age. I remember an Inter-District match where he was hit for 20 runs in the final over. Instead of sulking, he went straight back to the nets that evening, working on his slower deliveries and yorkers. His quick bouncer was always his secret weapon, and it never failed him.”
At the PCA Academy, Ashwani Kumar honed his skills under the guidance of coaches Dinesh, Sumit Ohri, and former Indian pacer VRV Singh. His journey also saw him play a crucial role in BRV Blasters’ victory at the Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup in 2023, a team he continued to represent the following year.
“When Ashwani Kumar joined the PCA Academy, he had the naturally strong build typical of village kids,” recalls coach Dinesh. “He took to bowling quickly and had an incredibly smooth action. During his load-up, both arms would align at perfect right angles, and his quick arm action allowed him to generate impressive pace despite his shorter height. His ability to extract speed from the ball was remarkable. He also got the opportunity to train under Harwinder Singh paji, spending valuable time refining his skills under his mentorship.”
Across two editions of the Sher-E-Punjab Cup, Ashwani Kumar showcased his talent by claiming 13 wickets while training under former India pacer VRV Singh. “VRV recognized Ashwani’s natural instinct for pace and helped him grasp the technical nuances of fast bowling,” explains PCA secretary Dilsher Khanna. “While Harwinder Singh managed the overall program, VRV worked closely with him on refining his action and mastering the art of using the pitch to generate extra speed.”
Kumar’s journey also included trial appearances for IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rajasthan Royals. However, in 2020, his progress was halted by a tennis elbow injury that kept him out of the game for over a year.
“We had to rebuild his bowling approach,” recalls coach Varinder Singh, director of cricket operations at the District Cricket Association, Mohali. “Initially, his deliveries would outswing, so we worked on developing his inswing, along with sharpening his yorkers. He even practiced bowling to India’s Ramandeep Singh in open nets at Mohali.”
Despite the setbacks, Ashwani Kumar remained focused on his dream. “He attended several IPL trials, but his idols were always Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc,” shares his elder brother, Shiv Rana. “His friends would pitch in to buy him cricket balls when he couldn’t afford them. And when Mumbai Indians signed him for ₹30 lakh, the first thing he did was distribute cricket kits and balls to academies near our village. He always told me his dream jersey would be one with his own name on the back. After today’s performance, he’s ensured that young cricketers will one day wear jerseys bearing his name.”
Ashwani’s mother, Meena Kumari, already knows what her son will crave when he returns home. “He loves besan ka chilla and aloo parathas. I’m sure he’ll be wishing for the same in Mumbai today,” she said with a proud smile, laughing as she joined in the celebrations with firecrackers.
After clinching the Man of the Match award, the composed IPL debutant strode over to commentator Harsha Bhogle for a post-match chat. He spoke about the initial jitters that quickly faded the moment he had the ball in his hand.
At one point, Bhogle encouraged Ashwani to look directly into the camera and send a message to his loved ones back home. Without a moment’s hesitation, the young pacer did just that. “Jab bhi game mila, mai mere gaon walon ko proud karvaunga” (Whenever I get a game, I will make my village proud), he declared confidently.
Smiling, Bhogle nudged him to say it in his mother tongue. Ashwani Kumar obliged, repeating the words in Punjabi—this time, his voice carrying an extra weight of emotion, making the moment even more powerful.
