MI's Ashwani Kumar Ready for New Ball Role, Credits Malinga's Guidance

Mumbai Indians pacer Ashwani Kumar has expressed readiness to bowl with the new ball if given the opportunity. He credited pace bowling coach Lasith Malinga for mentoring him on handling pressure and developing his yorker and slower deliveries. MI, currently ninth in the standings, face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next IPL fixture. Ashwani has taken 17 wickets in nine matches since his debut last year.

Key Points: MI's Ashwani on New Ball, Malinga's Mentorship Ahead of SRH Clash

  • Ashwani ready to bowl with new ball if needed
  • Working with Malinga on mental toughness and skills
  • MI at ninth spot with 2 wins in 7 games
  • Ashwani has 17 wickets in 9 MI matches
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MI pacer Ashwani speaks on bowling with new ball, working with Malinga ahead of SRH clash

Mumbai Indians pacer Ashwani Kumar discusses readiness for new ball and working with Lasith Malinga ahead of IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"If I get a chance, I will do it (bowl with the new ball). - Ashwani Kumar"

Mumbai, April 28

Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians pacer Ashwani Kumar spoke on being ready if given a chance to bowl with the new ball and working with pace bowling coach Lasith Malinga.

MI, which are currently at the bottom half of the table at ninth spot with just two wins in seven games, will be looking to get their third win of the season against an upbeat SRH, who have established themselves as genuine title contenders, especially with the skipper Pat Cummins returning in the previous game against Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Speaking during the presser, Ashwani, who has mostly bowled in the middle overs and death overs this season, said on bowling with the new ball, "Bowlers are working on bowling with the new ball (such as Bumrah, Boult etc). I am also working with them. If I get a chance, I will do it (bowl with the new ball).

On working with Malinga, he said that the work is mostly on mental side of things and developing his yorker and slower deliveries.

"He (Malinga) also talks to me mentally about how to handle the pressure. We are also working on the skills. I am also working on the yorkers and slowers," he added.

In nine matches for MI since his debut last year, Ashwani has taken 17 wickets at an average of 17.24, with two four-fers to his name.

Mumbai Indians Squad: Quinton de Kock(w), Danish Malewar, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur, Krish Bhagat, Ashwani Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Raj Bawa, Will Jacks, Mayank Rawat, Rohit Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ryan Rickelton, Raghu Sharma, Keshav Maharaj, Mayank Markande, Robin Minz, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar

Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga, Smaran Ravichandran, Liam Livingstone, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Shivam Mavi, Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Krains Fuletra, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
MI's season is almost over but at least we're seeing young talent like Ashwani step up. Malinga's mentorship is priceless – that yorker mastery doesn't come easy. But honestly, our batting needs to fire too. Can't just rely on bowlers. #MIPaltan
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Vikram M
Ashwani has the X-factor! Love how he talks about the mental aspect with Malinga – that's what separates good bowlers from great ones. SRH are flying high but if Bumrah and Ashwani can strike early, anything is possible. Exciting times for Indian pace bowling 🇮🇳
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James A
Interesting to see MI's strategy shift. Ashwani bowling with the new ball could be a game-changer – his natural length is fuller and that suits powerplay bowling. Malinga influence is clear from his economy in death overs. SRH better be prepared for a fired-up MI!
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Sneha F
Lovely to see a young pacer being so humble and focused. Working on yorkers and slower balls with Malinga – yaar, that's like learning from the GOAT! But I wish MI management had backed Ashwani more consistently. Two wins in seven games is just not good enough for a champion team 😤
M
Michael C
Ashwani's stats are genuinely impressive – 17 wickets at 17.24 average! That's world-class. The IPL really is the best platform for young Indian bowlers. Imagine learning from Bumrah AND Malinga in the same team. SRH have their work cut out tomorrow. All eyes

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