Follow UsChennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Mumbai Indians in their first game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, but it was young MI debutant Vignesh Puthur who stole the limelight. The left-arm wrist spinner from Kerala dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Deepak Hooda to finish with figures of 3/32.
After the match was over, former India and CSK captain MS Dhoni walked up to Vignesh and patted his back, congratulating him for his performance against some of the best white-ball batters in India. Vignesh was visibly very happy, with his eyes lit up while talking to MSD.
So, what did MSD actually say to Vignesh during the brief chat he had with the youngster?
“Dhoni asked him how old is he and told Vignesh to keep doing the same things that have brought him to the IPL," Vignesh’s close friend Sreerag, who called him on the following morning, told The Indian Express.
Talking about how Vignesh’s parents reacted after their son’s impressive IPL debut, Sreerag said: “They were clearly taken aback. At this moment, you need to stay true to your roots and that’s what I told them.
“We have seen what quick fame and money could do to cricketers. We saw it with Vinod Kambli then, and now we are seeing it with Prithvi Shaw. This one game doesn’t make him good or bad.”
Before his IPL debut, Vignesh hadn’t played a single T20 for the Kerala side, but he did feature in the 2024 edition of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL). He represented Alleppey Ripples and played four matches for the side in KCL 2024.
Puthur bowled thrice in KCL 2024 but did not impress in terms of numbers, taking just two wickets at an E.R. of 11.4. However, he still caught the eye of the MI scouts and was thus bagged for his base price of INR 30 lakh at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction.