Why was an unfit boy selected for the team? Phone call from Kerala to the Mumbai coach!

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vignesh Puthur, the son of an autorickshaw driver from Perinthalmanna who had little connection with cricket, is now the star of the IPL. Without any experience in domestic cricket, the 23-year-old Vignesh, who made his debut for Mumbai Indians by taking three wickets against Chennai Super Kings, has overcome many obstacles to achieve this success.

Realising that his father could not afford to buy him an expensive cricket kit, Vignesh abandoned his dream of becoming a batsman and became a bowler. Vignesh, who was excluded from Kerala's Under-23 team selection last year for failing the 'Yo-Yo' test, which measures fitness, has not yet played for the Kerala senior team.

He had asthma at a young age and could not pass the Yo-Yo test because he found it difficult to do hard physical work and couldn't handle much dust. The Kerala selection team's stance was that they did not want Vignesh, even though he was a rare Chinaman spinner in cricket. When he finally unexpectedly arrived at Mumbai Indians. A phone call came from Kerala to one of the Mumbai Indians coaches asking why a boy without fitness was included in the team. However, all those troubles didn't hold water before fate.

An opportunity opened with a single ball

Vignesh was in the Alleppey Ripples team in the Kerala Cricket League held in Kariyavattom last Onam. Vignesh got a chance in only three games out of the nine matches of the Ripples. He bowled a total of 42 balls. He could only take wickets. Notably, a single ball bowled by Vignesh stuck in the mind of the Mumbai Indians talent scout coach, who had come to Kariyavattom to find new players.

Subsequently he got invited to Mumbai for the IPL team selection trials. There, Hardik Pandya was so impressed by the boy's bowling that he found his way through the star auction. He didn't think that he would play in the first match. Last night everything changed. Even Dhoni congratulated him after the match. Mumbai Indians team owner Nita Ambani also gave Vignesh the medal for the best player of the match.