The Mumbai Indians youngster was one of the shining stars for MINY this season in the MLC.
Up until 2024, Rushil Ugarkar was not a name which many fans resembled with. Cut to two years later, it has become regular name on the Mumbai Indians New York (MINY) team sheet in the Major League Cricket (MLC). Winning battles right through injuries and setbacks, Ugarkar has quite made a career for himself.
The Mumbai Indians youngster was always going to be in the limelight for a place in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad for the United States of America (USA). His performances in the latest season of the MLC made him a known figure amongst the spectators.
Ugarkar made a mark in MLC 2025 with 11 wickets across eight matches with an economy of a touch under nine. However, he burst onto the scene when he defended 12 runs off the last over against the likes of Glenn Phillips and Glenn Maxwell to help MINY lift their second MLC title.
In a recent interview with the Big Innings, Rushil Ugarkar takes us deep into how his journey began. To add to that, he explains how texting his friend for some net bowling for the five-time IPL champions landed him a contract to play for the franchise.
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With the set of performances he has shown in the recent past, Rushil Ugarkar would be one of the first names to be on the team sheet for the tournament. The pace and accuracy that he possesses can supplement someone like a Saurabh Netravalkar, who starred in the previous edition.
The 22-year-old has also represented USA in ODI cricket, and has a five-wicket haul under his belt in the format. In three matches, he has picked up seven wickets at a pleasing economy of 4.33. However, his skills would be put to good test in the coveted tournament.
Ugarkar started off 2025 with a shoulder injury, which was very challenging to deal with. The recovery took eight weeks, which meant that he was out of action for two months. Post his comeback, when he felt that his game was not up to the mark, he texted some guys at Mumbai Indians – from where his career took a turn and things started working out.
Before the famous 2025 season, Ugarkar had represented the franchise for just two games in the 2024 season, with not a single wicket to his name.
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