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Raghu Sharma was picked by the Mumbai Indians as a replacement for injured pacer Vignesh Puthur ahead of the 2025 season. The franchise showed faith and retained him for IPL 2026.
Mumbai Indians' Raghu Sharma, right, during a training session ahead of an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match.(PTI)Raghu Sharma finally lived his dream as he made his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians (MI) against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The 33-year-old leg spinner is a Punjab domestic player who received his MI cap from captain Hardik Pandya just before the toss, and stepped into the big stage after waiting patiently on the sidelines.
Hardik Pandya confirms Raghu Sharma's debut
“We have one debut, the leggie (Raghu Sharma) plays his first game," Pandya said after winning the toss in the must-win clash.
Hardik won the toss and opted to bat first on what looked like a good batting track. Raghu Sharma was named in the impact substitutes list and is expected to come into play during the second innings as the Mumbai Indians chase a vital victory in their IPL 2026 campaign.
Raghu Sharma's journey to the IPL spotlight
Raghu Sharma was picked by the Mumbai Indians as a replacement for injured pacer Vignesh Puthur ahead of the 2025 season for a modest ₹30 lakh. Though he didn’t get a single game that year, the franchise showed faith and retained him for IPL 2026.
Interestingly, Raghu started his career as a fast bowler before switching to leg-spin to break into Punjab’s domestic side. He idolises spin greats Shane Warne and Imran Tahir and has worked hard to make his mark at the age of 33.
Impressive career stats back his selection
Before his IPL debut, Raghu Sharma has played just four T20 matches and taken four wickets. His first-class record stands out with 57 wickets in 12 games at an impressive average of 22.03, while he has picked up 18 wickets in 12 List A fixtures. These numbers show why the Mumbai Indians trusted him in a high-pressure game.
CSK vs MI: Team Changes and Playing XI
For this crucial encounter, the Mumbai Indians dropped Ashwani Kumar and brought back Krish Bhagat. Rohit Sharma continues to miss out due to a hamstring injury he picked up on April 12 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Mumbai Indians Playing XI: Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Robin Minz, Trent Boult, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, Allah Ghazanfar.
Impact Subs: Raj Bawa, Raghu Sharma, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Ashwani Kumar.
Chennai Super Kings made three changes, bringing back Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, and Prashant Veer.
Chennai Super Kings Playing XI: Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary
Impact Subs: Kartik Sharma, Akeal Hosein, Sarfaraz Khan, Matthew Short, Gurjapneet Singh
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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