Who is Raghu Sharma? MI make surprise choice in high-stakes clash with CSK

Punjab cricketer Raghu Sharma hogs the limelight in the high-profile IPL tournament. mumbai indians On May 2, during the match of Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium. Although he did not start in the XI, MI captain Hardik Pandya confirmed at the toss that the 33-year-old leg-spinner will feature as an impact player in the second innings. Earlier, Sharma won the Indian Cricket League title for the first time, marking an important moment in his long domestic journey. Mumbai Indians have made another change in their lineup, replacing Ashwani Kumar with Krish Bhagat. MI has only won 2 games in 8 games this season, accumulated 4 points, and has a net winning rate of -0.784, ranking ninth. The game also brought more momentum as MI looked to respond after suffering a humiliating 103-run loss to CSK earlier in the game. Sharma’s rise has been built on perseverance. The Jalandhar-born leg-breaking bowler has represented Punjab and Puducherry in domestic cricket. Since making his debut in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy, he has taken 57 wickets in 12 games, including 5 five-wickets and 3 ten-wickets. He further performed well in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, taking 14 wickets in 8 games. Since his debut in 2021, in T20s, he has taken 4 wickets in 4 games at an economy rate of 8. His association with MI began as a net bowler before being signed as a mid-season replacement in 2025, with the team retaining him as part of its long-term plans. When throwing, Hardik Pandya Choose to bat first. For CSK, Ruturaj Gaikwad Two changes were made, bringing on Ramakrishna Ghosh in place of Gurjapneet Singh and Prashant Veer in place of Akeal Hosein.