Punjab’s Raghu Sharma became a talking point during the IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 2. Although he wasn’t named in the starting XI, MI captain Hardik Pandya confirmed at the toss that the 33-year-old leg-spinner would be used as an Impact Player in the second innings. The appearance also marked a milestone for Sharma, who received his maiden IPL cap earlier in the build-up, underlining how long his domestic grind has been.
Key takeaways
- Hardik Pandya confirmed Raghu Sharma would come in as an Impact Player for Mumbai’s second-innings bowling.
- Raghu earned his first IPL cap as he prepared to feature in the high-profile May 2 match at Chepauk.
- Mumbai made a team reshuffle, replacing Ashwani Kumar with Krish Bhagat in the XI.
- MI arrived at the game ninth in the standings with four points and a net run rate of -0.784 after two wins in eight matches.
- Chennai made two alterations at the toss, with Ramakrishna Ghosh and Prashant Veer coming in for Gurjapneet Singh and Akeal Hosein.
Mumbai’s context and selection calls
Struggling for consistency this season, Mumbai Indians entered the contest with a record of just two victories from eight outings, leaving them placed ninth on four points and with a net run rate of -0.784. The match also carried extra urgency for MI, who were keen to bounce back after suffering a heavy 103-run loss to CSK earlier in the campaign.
Sharma’s pathway to the IPL spotlight has been shaped by persistence. Born in Jalandhar, he has played domestic cricket for Punjab and Puducherry. His first-class journey began with his debut in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy, and since then he has collected 57 wickets across 12 matches, including five five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls.
He continued to build momentum in one-day cricket as well, impressing in the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy where he finished with 14 wickets in eight matches. In T20s, his numbers have also remained steady: after making his debut in 2021, he has taken four wickets in four games at an economy rate of eight.
Sharma’s connection with Mumbai Indians started in the nets, before the franchise signed him as a mid-season replacement in 2025. Mumbai then continued to plan around him by retaining him as part of their longer-term setup.
Team news at the toss
At the toss, Hardik Pandya chose to bat first. For Chennai Super Kings, Ruturaj Gaikwad oversaw two changes to the playing group, bringing in Ramakrishna Ghosh for Gurjapneet Singh and Prashant Veer for Akeal Hosein.
Mumbai’s XI also saw one swap: Krish Bhagat came into the lineup in place of Ashwani Kumar. With Sharma confirmed for the second-innings Impact Player role, it set up a notable moment for the leg-spinner as he prepared to make his IPL contribution at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 2.
