1 Big Setback, 1 Big Gamble—Can MI Still Rise?
Vignesh Puthur’s untimely injury forces Mumbai Indians to look towards uncapped veteran Raghu Sharma before the RR clash.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) have faced a serious blow in the middle of IPL 2025. Their promising fast bowler, Vignesh Puthur, has been injured and ruled out of the rest of the season. The news came at a time when MI had to face their crucial game against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), which makes the situation worse for the team.
Vignesh had begun his IPL career this season and had impressed all with his quick bowling. He had played five games and taken five wickets, indicating that he is full of potential. But he has unfortunately suffered a bone stress injury in both his shins—a condition typical among fast bowlers due to the pressure and stress on their legs from frequent running and bowling.
In an official update, Mumbai Indians said that Vignesh will stay with the team for the rest of the tournament but won’t play. Instead, he will focus on rest, recovery, and physiotherapy under the care of MI’s medical and fitness team. The franchise has assured that they are doing everything they can to help the young pacer recover fully.
Who is Vignesh Puthur? A Young Star with a Big Dream
Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Vignesh Puthur has had an incredible journey to the IPL. He was born into a middle-class family, and he never had the advantage of fancy training facilities. He would practice using tennis balls on cement grounds, but his determination and hard work saw him rise above the rest.
He initially gained limelight in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy when his sharp inswingers and yorkers impressed the selectors. He then played well in domestic tournaments such as the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Duleep Trophy, which prompted the Mumbai Indians to select him in the IPL 2025 auction.
Vignesh also impressed with a great debut in the Ranji Trophy for Kerala in the 2022-23 season, grabbing a five-wicket haul in his first match itself. Although he did not play too many IPL matches this season, cricket experts were already discussing him as a future Indian star. Unfortunately, his developments have been halted temporarily due to injury, but the team and fans hope that he will return stronger.
Raghu Sharma Replaces Puthur in MI Team
In place of Puthur, Mumbai Indians have recruited Raghu Sharma, a 32-year-old leg-spinner from Jalandhar, Punjab. Raghu is making his first appearance in the IPL, despite having domestic cricket experience for many years.
With his best bowling statistics of 7/56, Raghu has taken 57 wickets in 11 first-class games. He has taken 14 wickets in 9 games in List A cricket and has grabbed 3 wickets in 3 T20 matches. He recently took 14 wickets in 9 games for Punjab in the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, when he was at his peak.
He comes to MI from the RAPP list at a base price of INR 30 lakhs. Though he is not a pace bowler like Puthur, his leg spin adds a new bowling option to MI and can assist the team to even out their playing XI in the future matches.
Mumbai Indians’ Team for the rest of the season
Following is the revised team after Puthur’s injury:
Ryan Rickelton (w), Rohit Sharma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Raj Bawa, Satyanarayana Raju, Robin Minz, Reece Topley, Raghu Sharma, Mitchell Santner, Ashwani Kumar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Arjun Tendulkar, Bevon Jacobs, Krishnan Shrijith
With several crucial games still ahead, MI will pray that Raghu Sharma’s experience will bear fruit. In the meantime, everyone in the country is wishing Vignesh Puthur all the best for a speedy and complete recovery. The players and fans eagerly await the return of the young pacer next season—fitter than ever.
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