Dhawal Sunil Kulkarni is an Indian cricketer who plays as a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He has represented the Indian national cricket team in One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, and has had a long first-class career with Mumbai in domestic cricket. He is regarded as a swing bowler, particularly effective with the new ball.
| Full name | Dhawal Sunil Kulkarni |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 December 1988, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Bowler |
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
| Domestic team | Mumbai |
| IPL franchises | Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Lions |
| International formats | ODI, T20I |
Kulkarni was born and raised in Mumbai, where he developed his cricket through the city's long-standing club and age-group system. He came up through Mumbai's junior ranks before establishing himself in the senior Ranji Trophy side, an environment that has historically produced many Indian Test cricketers.
Kulkarni has been a leading new-ball bowler for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. He has been part of multiple Mumbai title-winning Ranji Trophy campaigns and has consistently featured among the prominent wicket-takers in the competition. His ability to swing the ball, particularly under overcast conditions and on responsive pitches such as those at the Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium, has been central to his domestic success.
He has also played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (List A) and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) for Mumbai.
In the Indian Premier League, Kulkarni was first associated with the Mumbai Indians. He later played for the Rajasthan Royals and was part of the Gujarat Lions squad during the franchise's two-season existence (2016 and 2017), often deployed as a powerplay bowler.
Kulkarni made his ODI debut for India during the team's tour of Bangladesh in 2014. He went on to feature in further white-ball assignments for India, including matches in series against major opponents. His T20I appearances came as part of India's selection rotation during the same period. Although his international career was limited in length, he was used as a swing-oriented option in the limited-overs setup.
Kulkarni is known for an upright seam position, late outswing, and accuracy in the early overs. Within Mumbai cricket, he is recognised as one of the dependable seam bowlers of his generation, contributing to the state's continued dominance in the Ranji Trophy during the late 2000s and 2010s.