Akash Madhwal

Known for his nippy yorkers which he developed while playing with the tennis ball in his home state of Uttarakhand, Akash Madhwal has earned a reputation for himself as a tricky customer with the ball and an effective bowler in death overs. He made his T20 debut for Uttarakhand in the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and progressed to first-class and List A debuts by 2021. Ahead of the 2023 domestic cricket season, Akash Madhwal was named captain of Uttarakhand’s T20 team. Consistent performances on the domestic front saw Madhwal drafted in as a net bowler by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2021 before Mumbai Indians appointed him in the same capacity in IPL 2022. Suryakumar Yadav’s injury during the 2022 season, however, opened up a window of opportunity for the pacer who was subsequently added to the main squad as a replacement. Akash Madhwal made his IPL debut against the Punjab Kings in the 2023 season and showed glimpses of promise. Madhwal kept improving with every match and emerged as a crucial bowler for MI that season, especially in powerplays and the death overs. He picked up 4/37 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a virtual playoff match that season before producing astonishing figures of 5/5 against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator. It was the best bowling performance in the IPL playoffs and by an uncapped player. Akash Madhwal’s feat also equalled Anil Kumble’s record for the most economical five-wicket haul in IPL history. Madhwal picked up 14 wickets in eight matches during his debut IPL season and scalped five in five in IPL 2024. The Uttarakhand-born trailblazer is in Rajasthan Royals’ books for IPL 2025