The Rajasthan Royals handed Akash Madhwal his team debut as he faced his former team Mumbai Indians, on May 1 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in an attempt to stay alive in the tournament.
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As the teams go head-on in match 50 of the Indian Premier League 2025, the veteran bowler, Sandeep Sharma, found himself on the sidelines through an injury, as an unfortunate blow for the Royals.
Madhwal was replacing the experienced speedster who got his first cap for the franchise after being picked up in the auction for 1.2 crore INR. He was previously released by his old franchise, MI, ahead of the emga auction last year.
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As Madhwal makes his debut against his former franchise, let us look at how the pacer has performed in the IPL.
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How has Akash Madhwal performed in the IPL?
The 31-year-old bowler from Uttarakhand has played 13 matches for the Mumbai Indians across two seasons and has 19 wickets to his name.
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His best performance for MI came in a crucial match when they faced the Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator of the 2023 season. He dismissed Prerak Mankad, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi and Mohsin Khan for an incredible 5/5 in 3.3 overs.
| Season | Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avg/SR | Best figures | 4w/5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 11.28 | 41.00/21.8 | 3/20 | 0/0 |
| 2023 | 8 | 14 | 8.58 | 15.64/10.9 | 5/5 | 1/1 |
| Overall | 13 | 14 | 9.70 | 22.31/13.7 | 5/5 | 1/1 |
(Stats correct as of April 30, 2025)
Why did the Mumbai Indians release Akash Madhwal?
Madhwal last played in the IPL for MI in Mullanpur when they faced the Punjab Kings in match 33 of IPL 2024.
He conceded 1/46 in that match, before which he had previously conceded 20, 45, 57, and 37 runs in the other matches while getting only four wickets.
His high economy rate and the team going for an overhaul after poor back-to-back seasons could be the reasons for the franchise releasing him. Since then, MI have newly invested in other younger domestic talents.
Where will Akash Madhwal bowl for RR?
Akash Madhwal has been picked as a Sandeep Sharma replacement and is expected to primarily bowl in the death overs. He had excelled in that phase during his time in MI.
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