Mumbai : Mumbai Indians leg-spinner Raghu Sharma celebrated his maiden Indian Premier League wicket with an emotional note after his team’s win over Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Playing only his second IPL match in the Indian Premier League 2026 season, the 33-year-old dismissed debutant Akshat Raghuwanshi with a flighted delivery that resulted in a return catch.
Sharma then pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and held it up to the crowd, drawing comparisons to Abhishek Sharma’s similar celebration during IPL 2025. The handwritten note read: “Radhe Radhe A very painful 15 years. The divine mercy of Gurudev ended today. Thanks, Mumbai Indians (Blue and Gold), for giving me this opportunity. Ever grateful.”
Sharma’s journey to the IPL followed years in domestic cricket, including a switch from pace bowling to leg-spin. He was signed by Mumbai as a replacement player in 2025 but did not feature in a match that season.
He made his debut earlier this year against Chennai Super Kings, where he went wicketless but maintained an economical spell. Against Lucknow, Sharma returned figures of 4-0-36-1, keeping pressure through the middle overs despite aggressive batting from Rishabh Pant and Aiden Markram.
Mumbai chased down a 229-run target, powered by contributions from Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. The celebration quickly gained traction on social media, highlighting Sharma’s long-awaited breakthrough.
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