Punjab Kings batting coach Wasim Jaffer heaped praise on Mumbai Indians speedster Akash Madhwal for his brilliance against Lucknow Super Giants in the eliminator game on Wednesday, recalling the memories of young Uttarakhand pacer when he attended the trials under the watchful eyes of the Indian opener.
The 29-year-old bowled exceptionally well with the new ball and the middle overs picking up his maiden 5-wicket haul in the cash-rich league. He has picked up the wickets of Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran in consecutive balls to change to match completely in the favour of his team.
After this match-winning performance, Former Uttarakhand head coach Wasim Jaffer recollected his first memory of the right-arm pacer where he impressed right way in the selection despite playing only tennis ball until the age of 25 and said that he is proud of Madhwal’s bowling in IPL.
“When I was Uttarakhand Head Coach this boy came for trials. He was 24-25 and had only played tennis ball cricket. We were so impressed with his pace we roped him in right away! The year was 2019, and that boy was Akash Madhwal. Proud of how far he’s come! #MIvsLSG #IPL2023
Speaking to the media, after the team’s dominating win over Lucknow Super Giants, Akash Madhwal said that he was given clarity about his role in the team and reckons that he would try to continue working on the process to fulfil his responsibilities for the team in the forthcoming matches.
“I was given the clarity of my role with the team. I have to continue the process I was following and had the surety that I would get opportunities next season. That was very clear,” he added.
Mumbai Indians have an unearthed new star in the form of Akash Madhwal, who has taken the responsibility in his shoulder to perform for the side with the ball at the business end of the tournament, as he picked 9 wickets in the last two games for the five-time champions bowling crucial for his side.
Rohit Sharma-led side secured an emphatic 81-run win over the Krunal Pandya-led side, as the team was dominant with both bat and ball giving no chance for the Lucknow Super Giants to make a comeback into the match in Chepauk.
The Uttarakhand pacer will have a vital role to play in the upcoming for the Mumbai Indians as he can be leading Rohit Sharma’s team pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and injured Jofra Archer. Mumbai Indians will take on defending champions Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 in the famous Narendra Modi Stadium on May 26 for a place in final