Former India cricketer and renowned commentator Aakash Chopra has lauded Mumbai Indians (MI) for their exceptional scouting system, declaring it the benchmark for talent identification in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chopra’s remarks came in the wake of 23-year-old left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar’s stunning debut performance for MI on Monday, where he claimed four wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Not only Ashwani, but also left-arm wrist-spinner Vignesh Puthur had impressed on his IPL debut earlier in the season versus Chennai Super Kings (CSK), bagging three wickets.
In a recent statement, Chopra revealed that if he were part of an IPL franchise, he would strategically bid only for players targeted by MI, hailing the five-time IPL champions for their unparalleled knack for spotting and nurturing talent.
"If I were part of an IPL franchise, I would sit behind the table of Mumbai Indians to see their target list during the auction. I would only bid for players who are on Mumbai Indians’ target. There is no point in doing a lot of hard work," Chopra said as quoted on Star Sports.
"The best way forward is to follow Mumbai Indians and bid for the cricketers they are interested in. Hats off to them for spotting talents. Other franchises have their scouting teams, but Mumbai are ahead of them," he added.
Also read: IPL 2025: From Mumbai Indians Talent Factory Meet Ashwani Kumar
Hardik Pandya Credits MI Scouts
Hardik Pandya, visibly elated at the post-match presentation after winning against KKR, credited the franchise’s scouts for Ashwani’s inclusion. Giving the scouts their due, the MI captain said:
"This wicket just offered a bit more and we thought Ashwani can come in and bowl the way he bowled. First of all, it’s all because of the scouts. All MI scouts have gone all the places and picked these young kids."
Notably, former India player Rahul Sanghvi heads the MI scouting department. John Wright, Kiran More, T.A. Sekhar, Abey Kuruvilla, and Vinay Kumar travel around the world to spot talents.
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Prominent Talents Scouted by MI
India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is probably the biggest name scouted by Mumbai Indians. Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, also made their IPL debut for MI.
Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, and Akash Madhwal are some other young talents who made their name while playing for MI.
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