Mumbai, May 5: Mumbai Indians (MI) bowler Raghu Sharma described taking his first wicket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a dream come true. Following his team’s six-wicket victory against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Wankhede Stadium, he reflected on his long and emotional journey to this significant milestone.
In a video shared by IPL on X, Raghu expressed, “It feels like a dream come true to take my first wicket in the IPL. First of all, I want to thank my spiritual guru, Shyam Das, my mother, and father for their support. I have just arrived on this platform. I thought that if I took a wicket, I would surely advance further. Thank you to Mumbai Indians because these 15 years have been very painful for me.”
Raghu credited the franchise for supporting him throughout his journey, which began far from the professional cricket pathways.
“I am very grateful to this franchise for believing in me. Now I just want to give them the confidence that yes, I can do this for them,” he stated.
The leg-spinner from Jalandhar, Punjab, shared that he started playing cricket later in life and faced numerous challenges, including fitness concerns and family doubts.
“I began at the age of 21. By then, all age-group cricket had already concluded for me, but I was determined. I weighed around 102 kilograms and was not fit, but I worked hard. When I saw Dhoni sir hit that six in 2011, I was convinced that I could do it too,” he recalled.
He added, “My father said I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t fit enough, that cricket wasn’t for me, but I kept pushing myself.”
At 33, Raghu asserted that age is just a number. To prepare for a league like the IPL, one must be hardworking and mentally strong. “At this level, maturity matters more than skills,” he emphasized.
Against LSG, Raghu took the wicket of Akshat Raghuwanshi, conceding 36 runs in four overs. He caught Akshat off his own delivery.
Raghu had joined the IPL in 2025 as a replacement for Vignesh Puthur but did not get a chance to play in that season.
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