MALAPPURAM: 'Haven't you two slept?' Vignesh asks his parents over the phone at 2 am after the game. "I can't sleep out of joy, son..." Mother Bindu's stuttering words got cut off.

Father Sunil Kumar was speechless at the achievement of his son, who had put aside his dream of becoming a batsman because they didn't have the money to buy him a cricket kit. Vignesh Puthur, a native of Perinthalmanna Valayammoochi, is the new star of the Mumbai Indians, who silenced the yellow-clad Chepauk Gallery in Chennai. Vignesh's left-arm leg spin took three wickets of Chennai.

Before the match, he had called home at 5.30 pm. He said he was going to the game and asked for their prayers. When his father asked if he would get a chance, he replied that he didn't know.

"The gods have blessed. I saw Dhoni congratulating him on TV. I didn't ask him what he said. I have to ask him everything. He said he was going to Hyderabad. He called me yesterday morning," said Sunil Kumar, father who works as an auto driver in Puthur, Perinthalmanna.

From Alleppey Ripples to Mumbai Indians

The opportunity to play for Alleppey Ripples in last year's first Kerala Cricket League opened the way for him to the IPL. After his excellent performance in the tournament, he was called up for trials by the Mumbai Indians.

With just minutes left for the IPL auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to wind up, Vignesh was picked by Mumbai Indians for the base price of Rs 30 lakhs. He is also a good batsman.

Vignesh claims no cricketing background. A local resident who saw his talent brought him to Vijayakumar, a cricket coach in Perinthalmanna. It was Vijayakumar who taught him how to play Chinaman balls. Later, he played for Kerala in the Under-14, 19 and 23 categories. Vignesh is an MA Literature student at PTM Govt College, Perinthalmanna.