IPL 2026: ‘It’s a dream come true’ - Raghu Sharma reflects on emotional journey after maiden wicket

Raghu Sharma’s emotions, and the weight of a 15-year wait, were clearly visible as he claimed the first wicket of his Indian Premier League career. Playing only his second IPL match against the Lucknow Super Giants, he dismissed debutant Akshat Raghuvanshi for 11 runs to secure his maiden scalp.

After the Mumbai Indians won the match by six wickets, Raghu shared his emotions. In a touching gesture, he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket after taking the wicket, revealing a heartfelt message that reflected his long journey and perseverance.

“It’s a dream come true for me that I got a maiden IPL wicket. First of all, I just want to thank my Gurudev, my spiritual guru. He is Shri Shyam Das. And my mother and father for supporting me. I was like, if I take a wicket, I will definitely put that (note) out. I just want to thank Mumbai Indians because it has been a painful 15 years for me – how I started cricket and a lot of things happened in my life as well,” Raghu said to IPLT20.com.

“But today, just by the grace of God, I came here, and by MI’s grace, you can say that I am very grateful to this franchise. They have supported me and believed in me. They have backed me as well. They retained me. And now I am just giving them the confidence that yes, I can do that for them as well," he added.

[WATCH] Raghu Sharma’s emotional ‘note celebration’

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[WATCH] Raghu Sharma’s emotional ‘note celebration’

Raghu’s journey into cricket began after being inspired by MS Dhoni’s iconic World Cup-winning six in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Final. Interestingly, he only started taking the sport seriously after turning 18, making his rise to the Indian Premier League even more remarkable.

In the match, the LSG got off to a flying start, with Mitchell Marsh attacking the Mumbai bowlers early. Josh Inglis fell cheaply on debut, but Marsh found strong support from Nicholas Pooran. The duo added a rapid 94 runs in just 35 balls, giving LSG a solid platform. However, MI fought back well in the latter stages to restrict LSG to 228/5.

In response, Mumbai’s openers Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma delivered a stunning start, putting together a 143-run partnership in just 65 balls. Rickelton smashed 83 off 32 balls before departing, while Rohit continued the charge with a brilliant 84 off 44 balls. Although LSG managed to pick up a few wickets, Naman Dhir and Will Jacks ensured that Mumbai chased down the target comfortably, sealing the win with eight balls to spare.