After losing the toss, Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant revealed that Madhya Pradesh middle-order batsman Akshat Raghuwanshi will be handed his first Indian Premier League cap against Mumbai Indians on May 4 at the Wankhede Stadium.
A 2.2 million purchase during last year’s auction, Raghuwanshi has become a highly sought-after prospect, especially due to his performances in the 2025 Madhya Pradesh League. His aggressive strokeplay and ability to accelerate in the middle-order have made him one of the most talked about young batsmen heading into the 2026 season. The inclusion comes at a time when LSG are languishing at the bottom of the league table and batting is them this season’s main concern.
“We have three changes. Josh Inglis is coming in, Mukul is leaving and Raghuwanshi is making his debut. We will decide the bowling later,” Pant said at the toss.
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Raghuwanshi’s cricketing journey started remarkably early. He started playing the game at the age of just three under his father in Gwalior. He gradually progressed through the ranks, making his mark in age-group cricket before gaining wider recognition during the 2021–22 Ranji Trophy season. Representing the Madhya Pradesh cricket team, he declared himself in style with a century on debut against Meghalaya and followed it up with a composed half-century in his second match.
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Apart from his red ball, Raghuwanshi also showed leadership skills when he captained the Madhya Pradesh U-19 team in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. While his List A figures of 361 runs in 17 innings at an average of 22.81 may seem modest, his attacking intent stood out. He appeared in seven matches in the T20 format, scoring 63 runs at a strike rate of 131.25, showing flashes of his attacking prowess.
right handed batsman, who adores Rohit Sharmahe really caught the eye during the last edition of the Madhya Pradesh League where he smashed 239 runs in just four matches at a staggering strike rate of 177.04, including 115 off 56 balls. Known for his fearless attitude, Raghuwanshi built a reputation for his bold ‘no look’ tops which quickly became his signature.
In a fitting twist, the youngster’s IPL debut was pitted against and in front of his idol, Rohit Sharma. Despite his domestic success, an IPL contract eluded him until Lucknow Super Giants secured his services and offered him a platform to showcase his talent on the biggest T20 stage.
LSG also made another notable change, bringing in Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis, who joined the squad after a brief absence due to personal commitments. However, Inglis had a short-lived outing, scoring 13 off just five deliveries before going to long-on off the bowling of AM Ghazanfar.
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Published on:
04 May 2026 20:00 IST
