At 33 years old, when most cricketers are writing farewell notes and planning retirement parties, Raghu Shivam Sharma was receiving his maiden IPL cap from Hardik Pandya on May 2, 2026, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium — in a sold-out El Clasico of cricket, against Chennai Super Kings. Nobody in that stadium quite knew who he was. They were about to find out.
Raghu Sharma is a right-arm leg-break bowler from Jalandhar, Punjab — a man who weighed 102kg when he first picked up a cricket ball seriously, who taught himself the googly from Shane Warne’s YouTube videos, who played club cricket in Stoke-on-Trent so he could accidentally run into Imran Tahir, who turned to the Jagannath temple whenever rejection broke him, and who finally, after 15 years of grinding in the shadows, stood under the IPL lights.
Quick Bio: Raghu Sharma at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Raghu Shivam Sharma |
| Date of Birth | March 11, 1993 |
| Age (2026) | 33 years |
| Birthplace | Jalandhar, Punjab, India |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Education | B.Tech, Electrical Engineering |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm Leg-break (Wrist Spinner) |
| Batting Style | Right-hand Bat |
| Role | Specialist Bowler |
| Current IPL Team | Mumbai Indians (2026) |
| IPL Contract Value | ₹30 Lakh (retained 2026) |
| FC Debut | Punjab vs Vidarbha, Oct 14, 2017 |
| T20 Debut | Puducherry, Jan 11, 2021 |
| IPL Debut | CSK vs MI, May 2, 2026 |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Est. Net Worth 2026 | ₹5–8 Crore (estimated) |
| Category | Sports |
Who Is Raghu Sharma? — The Short Answer
Raghu Sharma is an Indian domestic cricketer and leg-spin bowler who plays for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy and represents Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Born on March 11, 1993, in Jalandhar, Punjab, he is one of the most unusual stories in modern Indian cricket — a late starter who didn’t take cricket seriously until the age of 18, shed 35 kilograms in six months, and spent over a decade grinding through Punjab, Puducherry, Sri Lanka, and England before making his IPL debut at 33.
He has 57 wickets in 12 First-Class matches at an average of 19.59, with a career-best of 7/56. He is the kind of bowler stats alone cannot explain.
Early Life & Background: The Engineer Who Became a Spinner
Growing Up in Jalandhar
Raghu Sharma was born on March 11, 1993, into a family of doctors and engineers in Jalandhar, Punjab — a city better known for sports equipment factories than producing cricketers. His family’s expectation was clear: follow the professional path. He enrolled in a B.Tech programme in Electrical Engineering and looked set to do exactly that. Then, in 2011, India won the ODI World Cup. He began visiting nearby Burlton Park for practice — but the first impression he made was not a promising one.
The Weight Loss That Changed Everything
When Raghu first showed up at the Jalandhar District Cricket Association’s ground, he weighed around 102 kilograms. The coaches’ response was far from encouraging.
What happened next belongs in a motivational book. ‘I realised I needed to lose weight,’ Raghu told ESPNCricinfo. ‘I would go to the ground in the afternoon, in 45–46°C heat. No one else would be there, but I would keep running and running. After that, I would bowl non-stop for two hours. Within six months, I lost 30–35kg.’
That level of self-discipline — sweating alone in peak Punjab summer — told you something about Raghu Sharma the person, long before the cricketer made anyone take notice.
From Fast Bowler to Leg-Spinner: A Hamstring Decides the Future
Raghu began as a pace bowler. After pulling his hamstring one afternoon, he started bowling leg-cutters without a run-up. Coach Madan Lal of the Jalandhar District Cricket Association took notice and advised him to switch to legspin permanently. He then began studying the craft through Shane Warne’s YouTube videos — paused and rewound until the movements became instinct.
Raghu Sharma’s Cricket Career: A Timeline of Persistence
2016: Harbhajan Singh’s Recommendation
Before playing a single First-Class game, Harbhajan Singh — the legendary off-spinner and Punjab icon — recommended Raghu’s name as a net bowler for Mumbai Indians. MI called him for trials the following season. He did not get through. Filed under rejection, and moved on.
2017–18: First-Class Debut Under Yuvraj Singh’s Captaincy
Raghu made his First-Class debut for Punjab in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy on October 14, 2017, against Vidarbha at Mohali. His captain was Yuvraj Singh. In his second match, he took seven wickets against Goa. It was exactly the kind of debut that should have secured a long run in the side. Instead, he was dropped for the rest of the season. He played one game the following year, and was then essentially forgotten by Punjab cricket.
2019–2021: The Irfan Pathan Chapter and Puducherry
From October 2019 to 2021, Raghu served as a bowling coach at the Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) in Jaipur — the academy run by India internationals Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan. On Raghu’s IPL debut day, Irfan Pathan tweeted: ‘Raghu was associated with our CAP academy in Jaipur as bowling coach from Oct 2019 to 2021, mentoring our young cricketers with dedication. Proud to see CAP talent grow and contribute at the highest level.’
In search of playing opportunities, he moved to Puducherry and made his T20 debut on January 11, 2021, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Consistent game time remained elusive there too.
2022: The Galle Revelation
Raghu travelled to Galle, Sri Lanka, and produced his finest cricket to that point — 46 wickets in just six First-Class matches at an average of 15.71, with multiple five-wicket hauls. The numbers were extraordinary. They did not produce a recall from Punjab.
2023: Stoke-on-Trent and the 40-Minute Masterclass from Imran Tahir
In summer 2023, Raghu joined Longton 1st XI in the premier division of England’s North Staffs and South Cheshire League, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker with 43 wickets in 21 games. The defining moment of that English summer, however, was not a wicket.
Raghu discovered that South African leg-spin legend Imran Tahir was playing in the same league — for Wedgwood in the third division. He tracked Tahir down after a game. Tahir took Raghu to a centre wicket and spent 40 minutes breaking down his bowling in Punjabi.
‘He started telling me how he bowls the legbreak, how he bowls the googly,’ Raghu told ESPNCricinfo. ‘After that, I changed my action, which helped me with speed variation. Earlier, I would not bowl a googly, but thanks to him, I have mastered it a bit.’ It was a turning point.
2024: The Fitness Test Heartbreak and the Jagannath Temple
Returning to India, Raghu failed the yo-yo fitness test and 2km run and was not considered for Ranji Trophy selection — even after his performances in England. ‘It broke my heart,’ he told ESPNCricinfo. ‘I left everything and went to Jagannath [temple in] Puri — whenever my mind is disturbed, I move towards God. That’s where I get my mental peace back.’
He returned, rebuilt his fitness, rejoined Punjab, and played alongside Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh in the Ranji Trophy.
2025: Mumbai Indians Net Bowler to Squad Member
In 2025, MI brought Raghu as a net bowler. When left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur was injured, Raghu was added to the squad as a replacement. He did not play. He was retained for IPL 2026 at ₹30 lakh — as a 33-year-old man who had never played an IPL match.
May 2, 2026: The IPL Debut
CSK vs MI at MA Chidambaram Stadium. One of cricket’s greatest rivalries. Hardik Pandya handed Raghu Sharma his IPL cap. ‘We have one debut — the leggie (Raghu Sharma) plays his first game,’ Pandya confirmed at the toss. Raghu came on as an Impact Player in the second innings and showed control, though wickets did not come on a night where CSK’s batters dominated. ESPNCricinfo noted he ‘showed control on debut’ — a dignified beginning to the next chapter.
Career Statistics (as of May 2026)
First-Class Record
| Metric | Figure |
| Matches | 12 |
| Wickets | 57 |
| Best Figures | 7/56 |
| Bowling Average | 19.59 |
| Five-Wicket Hauls | 5 |
| Ten-Wicket Matches | 3 |
| FC Debut | Oct 14, 2017 — Punjab vs Vidarbha |
T20 / IPL Debut Summary
| Format | Team | Debut |
| T20 | Puducherry | Jan 11, 2021 |
| IPL | Mumbai Indians | May 2, 2026 vs CSK |
Source: ESPNCricinfo player profile, verified May 2026
Bowling Style & What Makes Raghu Sharma Difficult to Face
Raghu Sharma is a right-arm leg-break bowler with a high-arm action. His primary weapons include:
- Standard legbreak bowled with sharp turn
- Well-disguised googly — developed after his session with Imran Tahir in 2023
- Flipper that skids low and deceives batters expecting flight
- Slider that straightens off the pitch, beating the inside edge
What sets him apart is control at pace. Time in England and Sri Lanka, where pitches offer less turn, forced him to develop accuracy without sacrificing flight. His First-Class average of 19.59 is elite by any measure.
Fantasy cricket note: Raghu Sharma performs best on pitches with lateral movement and in the middle overs against batters looking to attack. He is most dangerous to middle-order batters who underestimate traditional leg-spin.
Raghu Sharma Net Worth 2026
Raghu Sharma’s estimated net worth in 2026 is between ₹5 crore and ₹8 crore. This is an estimate compiled from publicly available income sources; no verified figure has been disclosed.
Income Breakdown (Estimated)
| Source | Estimated Amount |
| IPL Contract (MI, 2026) | ₹30 Lakh |
| BCCI Domestic Match Fees | ₹1–2 Lakh per FC match |
| Coaching — CAP Jaipur (2019–21) | Unconfirmed |
| Club Cricket Abroad (SL, England) | Unconfirmed |
Note: Net worth figures for players at Raghu Sharma’s profile level are estimates. Treat them as approximations, not verified income.
Raghu Sharma: Personal Life, Family & Wife
Family Background
Raghu Sharma comes from a family of doctors and engineers in Jalandhar, Punjab. His family background explains both his B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering and the quiet pressure to follow a conventional professional path — a path he abandoned at 18 for a cricket ball and a ground in 45°C summer heat. His parents have been his constant support through years of rejection, though they maintain a private life away from media attention.
Religion, Faith & Spirituality
One of the most overlooked dimensions of Raghu Sharma’s story is his faith. He follows the Vaishnava Hindu tradition. After the fitness test failure in 2024 left him devastated, he travelled to the Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha. He has also visited Vrindavan, one of the holiest Vaishnava sites in India. ‘Whenever my mind is disturbed, I move towards God. That’s where I get my mental peace back,’ he told ESPNCricinfo. For a cricketer who absorbed rejection for 15 years, this spiritual anchoring is not a peripheral detail — it is structurally part of why he kept going.
Wife and Relationship Status
Raghu Sharma has not publicly disclosed his marital status or relationship details. His wife’s name, if he is married, has not appeared in any verified media source as of May 2026. This article does not speculate on unverified personal information.
Physical Profile
| Detail | Information |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | ~70 kg (estimated, post-transformation) |
| Date of Birth | March 11, 1993 |
| Age (2026) | 33 years |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
Role Models: Shane Warne, Imran Tahir and Lord Krishna
Shane Warne taught him the fundamentals — grip, release, the shape of a legbreak — through YouTube videos, watched alone, paused and rewound until the movements became instinct.
Imran Tahir gave him the googly. That 40-minute session in Stoke-on-Trent remodelled his action, added speed variation, and turned a competent domestic spinner into a genuinely dangerous one. The fact that Tahir spoke Punjabi made the exchange feel personal, not transactional.
Lord Krishna, worshipped through the Vaishnava tradition, gave him continuity of purpose across years when cricket offered none. When selection committees said no, temple visits said: carry on.
The Late Bloomer Angle: What Raghu Sharma Tells Us About Indian Cricket
Indian cricket has always celebrated prodigies — teenagers with centuries, bowlers debuting at 19 with 140kmh pace. The system is optimised for early discovery. Raghu Sharma is the counter-argument: a player who was never discovered early because he was never playing cricket early. He only started at 18. He was told at 25 that he was ‘too old’ for Punjab’s plans. At 33, he received an IPL cap.
His trajectory raises a legitimate question: how many Raghu Sharmas are there — players with elite technical ability who started late, were overlooked during the system’s typical scouting window, and ran out of patience before the opportunity came? His own quote says it best: ‘You ought to take it as a challenge that you have to give 150–200%, because 100% won’t do.’
Frequently Asked Questions About Raghu Sharma
Q1. Who is Raghu Sharma the cricketer?
Raghu Shivam Sharma is a right-arm leg-break bowler from Jalandhar, Punjab, born on March 11, 1993. He plays domestic cricket for Punjab and represents Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He made his IPL debut on May 2, 2026, against Chennai Super Kings, becoming one of the oldest players to debut in the league.
Q2. How old is Raghu Sharma in 2026?
Raghu Sharma is 33 years old in 2026, born on March 11, 1993, in Jalandhar, Punjab.
Q3. What is Raghu Sharma’s net worth in 2026?
His estimated net worth is between ₹5 crore and ₹8 crore. His verified income source is his Mumbai Indians IPL contract at ₹30 lakh for 2026. Other income includes BCCI domestic match fees and past coaching engagements.
Q4. Which IPL team does Raghu Sharma play for?
Raghu Sharma plays for Mumbai Indians. He was signed as an injury replacement for Vignesh Puthur in 2025 and retained for the 2026 season at ₹30 lakh.
Q5. What is Raghu Sharma’s career-best bowling figure?
Raghu Sharma’s career-best is 7 wickets for 56 runs in a First-Class innings. He has five five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket match performances, maintaining a First-Class average of 19.59.
Q6. Is Raghu Sharma married? Who is his wife?
Raghu Sharma has not publicly disclosed his marital status. No verified information about a wife or relationship is available as of May 2026.
Q7. What is Raghu Sharma’s educational background?
Raghu Sharma holds a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering from Jalandhar — an unusual qualification for an IPL cricketer, and a reminder that his cricket journey only began after committing to a different professional path.
Q8. How did Raghu Sharma learn leg-spin bowling?
He started as a fast bowler. A hamstring injury redirected him to spin, after which coach Madan Lal advised him to focus on leg-spin. He self-studied Shane Warne’s YouTube videos. In 2023, a 40-minute session with Imran Tahir in Stoke-on-Trent added the googly and transformed his action.
Q9. Where is Raghu Sharma from?
Raghu Sharma is from Jalandhar, Punjab, India — one of India’s most storied sporting cities.
Q10. What teams has Raghu Sharma played for?
He has represented Punjab and Puducherry domestically, Galle Cricket Club in Sri Lanka (2022), and Longton 1st XI in England’s North Staffs and South Cheshire League (2023). In the IPL, he represents Mumbai Indians.
Sources & Editorial Note
This article draws exclusively on verified sources:
- ESPNCricinfo player profile and in-depth feature (March 2026): ‘I even enjoyed my failures: Raghu Sharma’s journey to the IPL via Galle, England and the Jagannath temple’
- IPL Official website player profile
- InsideSport India match report (May 2, 2026)
- Irfan Pathan’s verified social media statement (May 2, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Raghu Sharma (cricketer)
- ESPNCricinfo live scorecard, CSK vs MI IPL 2026, May 2
