Guwahati: Mumbai Indians’ Raghu Sharma, right (PTI Photo) Punjabi cricketer Raghu Sharma was in the limelight during the highly watched IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 2. Although he did not start in the playing XI, MI captain Hardik Pandya confirmed at the toss that the 33-year-old second-in-order player will play in the rotation. Earlier, Sharma got his first IPL cap, marking a significant moment in his long domestic journey. Mumbai Indians have made another change in their lineup bringing in Krish Bhagat in place of Ashwani Kumar. Struggling with just two wins from eight games this season, MI entered the contest in ninth place in the table with four points and a net rate of -0.784. The match also brought further motivation, with MI looking to reply after a heavy 103-run defeat to CSK earlier in the tournament. Sharma’s rise was built on persistence. Born in Jalandhar, the bowler has represented Punjab and Puducherry in domestic cricket. Since his first-class debut in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, he has taken 57 wickets in 12 matches, including five five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls. He further impressed in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy with 14 wickets in eight matches. In T20s, he has taken four wickets in four games at an economy rate of eight since debut in 2021. His association with MI began as a bowler before being signed as a mid-season replacement in 2025, with the franchise retaining him as part of its long-term plans. On the toss, Hardik Pandya chose to bat first. For CSK, Ruturaj Gaikwad made two changes, bringing on Ramakrishna Ghosh for Gurjapneet Singh and Prashant Veer in place of Akeal Hosein.
