At age 33, Raghu Sharma had an impressive first season with the Mumbai Indians during IPL 2026, becoming one of the few cricketers ever to debut in the league at such a late stage in their career.
As opposed to many other young cricketers making their debut this year, Raghu is able to bring with him a wealth of domestic and international cricketing experience and as a result he is able to add something very different to the squad.
Raghu Sharma’s Late IPL Debut Story
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He made his first appearance for the franchise against the Chennai Super Kings in a big match at the famous MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. He officially received his IPL cap from captain Hardik Pandya before the match. Raghu is one of the oldest debut players with the Mumbai Indians.
His journey to debut in IPL has generated a lot of talk because of the unique way he has reached the professional level of cricket.
His debut highlights how long you have to be committed and not give up, regardless of your age.
Raghu Sharma’s Unconventional Cricket Journey
But Raghu Sharma’s career in cricket isn’t like that of most players:
- Started playing cricket only after India won the World Cup in 2011
- Had started out as a fast bowler
- Had suffered a hamstring injury while training for the sport
While recovering from his hamstring injury, he started trying his hand at bowler without a run-up.
Turning Point: Advice from Madan Lal
Raghu Sharma in a practice cricket match at the Jalandhar District Cricket Association. Madan Lal, a previous Cricket World Cup Champion, saw Raghu batting in a practice game one day. Madan suggested raghu try switching over to leg spin bowling.
This was a pivotal moment in terms of defining how he would develop his career as a bowler. This is considered as the beginning of Raghu’s progression to become a full-fledged leg spinner.
Domestic Career of Raghu Sharma
Debut in Ranji Trophy cricket for Punjab in 2017
- Experienced fewer opportunities at first
- Transition to Puducherry
- Joined new clubs before the 2020-21 season
List A and T20 debut
- Represented Galle Cricket Club in the Major League Tournament of Sri Lanka
- Engaged in club cricket in England
While playing cricket in England, Raghu was introduced to Imran Tahir, who guided him in polishing his bowling technique.
Return to Punjab and Growth
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When Raghu came back to Punjab cricket following his time overseas, he was able to play with fellow talents such as Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh. Raghu was also able to continue developing as a leg spinner and build a track record of success across the domestic games in the state.
Raghu Sharma’s Journey with Mumbai Indians
Raghu Sharma first joined Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2025 season as a network bowler, he replaced Vignesh Puthur once the latter got injured. Raghu was retained for the IPL 2026 season and his hard work paid off by getting him onto the main squad and make a debut.
Raghu Sharma Bowling Stats
First-Class Cricket
Matches: 12
Wickets: 57
Best Bowling: 7/56
Average: 22.03
List A Cricket
Matches: 12
Wickets: 18
Best Bowling: 4/37
Economy: 5.22
T20 Cricket
Matches: 4
Wickets: 4
Best Bowling: 2/34
In terms of his red ball performance, he is quite impressive, indicating his capability in playing long-format games.
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