Cricket fixturesFootball fixtures
  • LIVEAFC Champions League EliteJHM1JDT044'TableFixtures
  • LIVEAFC Champions League EliteKRE0DHC045'TableFixtures
  • LIVEAFC Champions League EliteVIS1RCH045'TableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGEngland Lions tour of West Indies 2026/27WI-ALIONSFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueGALVFBTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueSHKSCPTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueATMMUNTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueBARAVLTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueBODOLILLTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueFEYINTTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueLASSLBTableFixtures
  • RESULTEnglish Premier LeagueNewcastle0Everton1FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTSpanish LALIGADeportivo2Osasuna1FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTItalian Serie AAtalanta0Parma3FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTFrench Ligue 1Lorient0Brest2FTTableFixtures
  • LIVENational Cricket LeagueDHABAR266/8 (70 ov)Barishal Division won the toss and elected to batFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyASSAM135KNTKA496/5 (117 ov)Karnataka lead by 361 runs with 5 wickets remaining in the 1st inningsFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyMEGHA144NAGA254 & 73/3 (25 ov)Nagaland lead by 183 runs with 7 wickets remainingFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyTPURA268 & 48/4 (17 ov)SAU118Tripura lead by 204 runs with 6 wickets remainingFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyBENG143MAHA207/9 (79 ov)Maharashtra lead by 64 runs with 1 wicket remaining in the 1st inningsFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyODSAJHK232/4 (97 ov)Odisha won the toss and elected to fieldFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyCHD22/0 (6 ov)TN571/7dChandigarh trail by 549 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st inningsFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyCGR284HYD219/8 (69 ov)Hyderabad (India) trail by 65 runs with 2 wickets remaining in the 1st inningsFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyDELHI241/5 (75.4 ov)SVCS266Delhi trail by 25 runs with 5 wickets remaining in the 1st inningsFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyGOA397BIHAR107/7 (25 ov)Bihar trail by 290 runs with 3 wickets remaining in the 1st inningsFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyGUJ534/9dKER14/0 (3.5 ov)Kerala trail by 520 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st inningsFixtures
  • LIVERanji TrophyHP153RAJ78 & 237/2 (77 ov)Rajasthan lead by 162 runs with 8 wickets remainingFixtures
  • UPCOMINGEngland Lions tour of West Indies 2026/27WI-ALIONSFixtures
  • UPCOMINGIndia tour of New Zealand 2026/27NZINDFixtures
  • UPCOMINGICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2UAEOMAFixtures
  • UPCOMINGEngland Lions tour of West Indies 2026/27WI-ALIONSFixtures
  • UPCOMINGWomen's Big Bash LeagueHH-WMR-WFixtures
  • UPCOMINGNepal Premier LeagueLULPOAFixtures
  • UPCOMINGSouth Africa Domestic T20/Pro20DOLPHWPRFixtures
  • UPCOMINGThe Ford TrophyCDAUCKFixtures
  • RESULTICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2NED183/3 (36/50 ov, target 183)OMA182Netherlands won by 7 wickets (with 84 balls remaining)Fixtures
  • RESULTWomen's Big Bash LeagueMS-W109 (18.1/20 ov, target 125)PS-W124/9Scorchers won by 15 runsFixtures
  • RESULTNepal Premier LeagueBIK174/3JAB172/7 (20 ov, target 175)Biratnagar won by 2 runsFixtures
  • RESULTNepal Premier LeagueCHR129/6SPR131/5 (16.4/20 ov, target 130)S Paschim won by 5 wickets (with 20 balls remaining)Fixtures
  • RESULTNepal Premier LeagueKAY180/6KAG181/6 (19.4/20 ov, target 181)Kathmandu won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)Fixtures
  • RESULTNCL GT20 Canada 2026/27MOW120/7 (19.2/20 ov, target 120)BRB119Warriors won by 3 wickets (with 4 balls remaining)Fixtures
  • LIVEAFC Champions League EliteJHM1JDT044'TableFixtures
  • LIVEAFC Champions League EliteKRE0DHC045'TableFixtures
  • LIVEAFC Champions League EliteVIS1RCH045'TableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueGALVFBTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueSHKSCPTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueATMMUNTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueBARAVLTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueBODOLILLTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueFEYINTTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueLASSLBTableFixtures
  • UPCOMINGUEFA Champions LeagueMANROMATableFixtures
  • RESULTEnglish Premier LeagueNewcastle0Everton1FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTSpanish LALIGADeportivo2Osasuna1FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTItalian Serie AAtalanta0Parma3FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTFrench Ligue 1Lorient0Brest2FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTItalian Serie ASassuolo2Fiorentina4FTTableFixtures
  • RESULTAFC Champions League EliteNEW2SHP4FTTableFixtures

From Net Bowler to IPL Debutant at 33 — The Incredible Underdog Story of Raghu Sharma, Mumbai Indians’ New Spin Hope

When Hardik Pandya handed Raghu Sharma his debut cap at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against the Chennai Super Kings, thousands of fans immediately pulled out their phones to ask one…

May 3, 2026
3 min read

When Hardik Pandya handed Raghu Sharma his debut cap at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against the Chennai Super Kings, thousands of fans immediately pulled out their phones to ask one question: “Who is this guy?” The answer is one of cricket’s most human stories — a man who took 15 years, two countries, one hamstring injury, and a life-changing chat with Imran Tahir to get to this moment.

Raghu Sharma — IPL Player Profile at a Glance

DetailInfo
Full NameRaghu Sharma
Age33
RoleLeg Spin Bowler
StatePunjab / Puducherry
IPL TeamMumbai Indians
IPL DebutMay 2, 2026 vs CSK
How He Joined MINet bowler → Injury replacement for Vignesh Puthur
FC Best Bowling7/56
FC Wickets57 in 12 matches

The Journey Nobody Saw Coming

Raghu’s cricket journey began in 2011 after India won the ODI World Cup — before that, he didn’t care for the sport. At 18, an age by which most people have already mapped out their futures, he decided to start his journey toward professional cricket.

Initially a fast bowler, he pulled his hamstring during a practice session at the Jalandhar District Cricket Association. For fun, he started bowling leg cutters without a run-up — and that’s when Madan Lal, a former ODI World Cup winner, noticed him and advised him to switch to leg spin.

IPL

In 2017, he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Punjab. Opportunities came few and far between, so before the 2020-21 season he moved to Puducherry, where he made his List A and T20 debuts. In 2022, he went to Sri Lanka to play for Galle Cricket Club.

The real turning point came in England. In 2023, he represented Longton 1st XI in the North Staffs and South Cheshire League — where he met South African leg spinner Imran Tahir. After a long and insightful conversation, Raghu decided to remodel his bowling action entirely.

For more IPL 2026 player profiles and team news, visit TechnoSports.

How Did Raghu Sharma End Up at Mumbai Indians?

In 2025, MI used him as a net bowler. After left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur was ruled out of the season due to injury, Raghu was announced as his replacement and was subsequently retained ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

Even Irfan Pathan took to social media to wish him well, noting that Raghu had served as a bowling coach at his CAP academy in Jaipur from 2019 to 2021 — mentoring young cricketers while still chasing his own dream. That detail alone tells you everything about this man’s character.

Raghu Sharma’s Bowling Stats

FormatMatchesWicketsBestAverageEconomy
First Class12577/5622.033.27
List A12184/3727.505.22
T20442/3428.008.00

His First Class numbers are genuinely outstanding — 57 wickets at 22.03 with five five-wicket hauls tell you this is no journeyman. He’s a wicket-taking bowler who simply never got his stage. Until now.

Stay updated with MI’s IPL 2026 campaign and Raghu Sharma’s performances at TechnoSports’ cricket hub.

FAQs

Q1. How did Raghu Sharma get into the Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2026?

Raghu Sharma first joined MI as a net bowler in IPL 2025 and was later added to the squad as an injury replacement for left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur, before being retained ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

Q2. What is Raghu Sharma’s strongest format and best bowling figures?

Raghu is primarily a First Class specialist with 57 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 22.03 — his best figures of 7/56 highlight exactly the kind of match-winning ability that convinced Mumbai Indians to back him at the highest level.

Follow us on Google News Get real-time updates & exclusive tech coverage
Follow

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *