Fighting to keep their IPL 2026 campaign alive, the Mumbai Indians produced a match-winning chase at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing 229, Rohit Sharma returned to the crease in confident fashion and looked close to his old self, striking 84 off 44 balls, while Ryan Rickelton carried the momentum with a sensational 83 from just 32 deliveries. Mumbai got the job done in 18.4 overs to register only their third victory of the season.
Key takeaways
- Mumbai Indians chased a target of 229 at the Wankhede Stadium, finishing in 18.4 overs.
- Rohit Sharma struck 84 off 44 balls in his comeback innings.
- Ryan Rickelton powered the chase with 83 off 32 balls.
- Raghu Sharma took his maiden IPL wicket by dismissing Akshat Raghuwanshi in the 13th over.
- The debutant revealed a handwritten note expressing gratitude for reaching this stage, with “Radhe Radhe” at the start.
Rohit and Rickelton ignite the chase
In a high-pressure pursuit, Rohit Sharma led from the front with an innings that mixed authority and timing. His 84 came off 44 balls as he looked to impose control early and then accelerate when the scoring opportunities opened up. Rickelton, meanwhile, was in breathtaking rhythm, maintaining a rapid pace throughout his 83 off 32 balls and ensuring the chase never truly drifted out of Mumbai’s grasp.
Together, the pair powered the chase to a swift conclusion, with Mumbai reaching the required mark in 18.4 overs. The result meant the franchise took a major step in staying relevant in the race for survival, securing just their third win of the season.
Maiden IPL wicket for Raghu Sharma and the mystery note
While Rohit and Rickelton provided the fireworks, Raghu Sharma made his own impact with the ball. He claimed his maiden IPL wicket when Akshat Raghuwanshi was dismissed on the first ball of the 13th over. The batter advanced down the track as if committing early, but the delivery beat him through flight as the ball drifted in. Raghuwanshi tried to force it away, yet the ball struck his pad, took an inside edge, and ballooned back toward the bowler, enabling a straightforward catch.
The wicket triggered a memorable reaction from the debutant. Immediately after the dismissal, Raghu Sharma reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, a moment that reminded teammates of Dinesh Ramdin’s famous gesture from the past. He unfolded the paper and showed it toward the dugout, leaving stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah puzzled by what it contained.
Later, the text was revealed by the IPL broadcast. The message was different from Ramdin’s 2012 note, which had led to a fine of 20 per cent of his match fee by the ICC. Raghu Sharma’s note, instead, was a gratitude-filled reflection on his journey—capturing the emotional weight of 15 years of work before reaching this point.
The note read: “Radhe Radhe. A very painful 15 years, by divine mercy of Gurudeva, ended today. Thanks, Mumbai Indians (Blue and Gold), for giving me this opportunity. Ever grateful. Jai Shri Ram.”
Who is Raghu Sharma?
Raghu Sharma is a left-arm leg-spinner who had been part of the Mumbai Indians set-up as a net bowler in 2025. He was added to the squad midway through that season as an injury replacement for Vignesh Puthur. Although he did not get a game last year, he was retained for the next opportunity. His IPL debut eventually came earlier this season against Chennai Super Kings.
His background is rooted in a family of engineers and doctors. Hailing from Jalandhar, Raghu was originally on a path toward becoming an electrical engineer, but the turning point arrived after India’s 2011 World Cup triumph, which pushed him toward cricket.
He began as a fast bowler before making a significant switch. At the request of Madan Lal—who was then coaching at the Jalandhar District Cricket Association—Raghu moved into leg-spin. That change opened a door to Shane Warne’s methods, initially through online material. In an earlier interview, he explained that Warne’s “Leg Spin Tutorial” remains available on YouTube and is about 9–9.5 minutes long, covering grips and the fundamentals of legbreak, the wrong’un, the flipper, and the slider. He said he would watch it repeatedly and try the variations in nets.
From there, his journey took him across regions and conditions: from Punjab to Puducherry, then to Galle in Sri Lanka, and later to Stoke-on-Trent in England. After being dropped from Punjab’s Ranji Trophy squad and taking time to regroup, Raghu Sharma eventually returned and made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians—bringing the story full circle with a maiden wicket that arrived in a decisive over during a chase Mumbai needed badly.
