Meet Akash Madhwal: A net bowler for RCB who has become an IPL star for Mumbai Indians

In a thrilling encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, it was the sensational performance of young fast bowler Akash Madhwal that stole the show. His remarkable five-wicket haul propelled the Mumbai Indians to victory over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2023 Eliminator. 

With figures of 5/5 in just 3.3 overs, Madhwal etched his name alongside illustrious bowlers like Anil Kumble and Jasprit Bumrah.

Many fans may not be aware that Madhwal was a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad in IPL 2021. Though he did not get a chance to play, as a net bowler, he had the opportunity to bowl against the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the nets. Reflecting on his journey, Madhwal earlier shared his excitement about living his dream of playing in the IPL.

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It's hard to believe that just four years ago, Madhwal was honing his skills in tennis ball cricket and had never even laid hands on a red ball. 

Having pursued engineering studies, he made history as the first cricketer from Uttarakhand to feature in the IPL when he was selected by the Mumbai Indians in 2022 as a replacement for the injured Suryakumar Yadav.

Madhwal quickly established himself as the team's premier Indian pacer. His scintillating spell of 5/5 in the Eliminator against LSG earned him the well-deserved Player of the Match award, further solidifying his reputation as one of the rising stars of Indian cricket.

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Prior to that in 2019, Madhwal caught the attention of the then Uttarakhand coach, Wasim Jaffer, and his current coach, Manish Jha. This led to a transition from tennis ball cricket to red ball cricket, setting the stage for his fairy tale journey. His outstanding performances in domestic cricket earned him the captaincy of Uttarakhand's white-ball team for the 2023 season.

Interestingly, Madhwal shares a connection with India's dynamic wicket-keeper batsman, Rishabh Pant. Both hailing from Uttarakhand, Madhwal also trained under Avtar Singh, the same coach who honed Pant's skills before he made his mark in Delhi.