Raghu Sharma made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians. Courtesy: Raghu Sharma Instagram

Who is Raghu Sharma? Punjab leg-spinner makes IPL debut for MI in El Clasico

IPL 2026, CSK vs MI: Raghu Sharma made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, receiving his maiden cap from Hardik Pandya amid MI's struggling season.

02 May 2026, 14:00 by Sabyasachi Chowdhury · India Today

In Short

Raghu Sharma has played only 4 T20s in his career
Raghu had joined MI last season as Vignesh Puthur's replacement
MI have struggled thus far in their IPL 2026 campaign

Punjab cricketer Raghu Sharma made his debut in the Indian Premier League during the ‘El Clasico’ clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, May 2, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Ahead of the game, the 33-year-old received his maiden IPL cap from MI captain Hardik Pandya.

While Raghu made his debut, MI made one more change, bringing in Krish Bhagat in place of Ashwani Kumar. Raghu, however, was included in the Impact Player list. The five-time champions have struggled so far this season, languishing ninth in the table with four points and a net run rate of -0.784, having managed just two wins from eight matches.

MI will also be eyeing revenge after their previous meeting against Chennai Super Kings earlier in the tournament, where they suffered a 103-run defeat at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

WHO IS RAGHU SHARMA

Raghu Sharma, a relatively lesser-known but steadily rising name in Indian domestic cricket, has carved his journey through persistence, late recognition, and consistent performances in the domestic circuit. Born in 1993 in Jalandhar, Punjab, Sharma is a right-arm leg-break bowler who also contributes as a lower-order right-handed batter.

Sharma’s cricketing foundation was built in domestic cricket, where he represented Punjab and later Puducherry across formats. He made his first-class debut during the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy season and gradually established himself as a dependable spinner. In red-ball cricket, he has been particularly impressive, picking up 57 wickets in 12 first-class matches, including five five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls.

In limited-overs cricket, Sharma gained further recognition during the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he picked up 14 wickets in just eight matches. In four T20 matches, Sharma has taken four wickets at an economy rate of eight since his debut in 2021.

His breakthrough moment came in 2025 when Mumbai Indians signed him as a mid-season replacement for the injured Vignesh Puthur. Interestingly, Sharma had earlier been associated with the franchise as a net bowler, gaining exposure to top-level players and coaching staff. Although he did not feature in matches that season, the franchise recognised his potential and retained him, signalling long-term faith in his abilities.

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