Who is Akshat Raghuwanshi? MP batter makes IPL debut against idol Rohit Sharma
After shedding the toss, Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant revealed that middle-order Madhya Pradesh batter Akshat Raghuwanshi can be handed his maiden Indian Premier League cap against the Mumbai Indians on the Wankhede Stadium on May 4.
A 2.2 crore buy throughout final yr’s public sale, Raghuwanshi had emerged as a extremely sought-after prospect, notably attributable to his exploits within the Madhya Pradesh League in 2025. His aggressive stroke play and talent to speed up within the center overs made him one of the talked-about younger batsmen heading into the 2026 season. The inclusion comes at a time when LSG is reeling on the backside of the league desk, with batting a significant concern for them this season.
“We have three changes. Josh Inglis comes in, Mukul goes out, and Raghuwanshi is making his debut. Bowling we will decide later,” Pant stated on the toss.
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Raghuwanshi’s cricketing journey started remarkably early. He began enjoying the sport at simply three years previous underneath the steering of his father in Gwalior. Progressing steadily via the ranks, he made a mark in age-group cricket earlier than gaining wider recognition through the 2021–22 Ranji Trophy season. Representing the Madhya Pradesh cricket group, he introduced himself in fashion with a century on debut against Meghalaya and adopted it up with a composed half-century in his second match.
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Apart from his red-ball credentials, Raghuwanshi additionally demonstrated management qualities by captaining Madhya Pradesh’s U-19 facet within the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. While his List A numbers – 361 runs in 17 innings at a median of twenty-two.81, could seem modest, his attacking intent has stood out. In the T20 format, he has featured in seven matches, scoring 63 runs at a strike fee of 131.25, displaying glimpses of his big-hitting skill.
The right-handed batter, who idolizes Rohit Sharmareally grabbed consideration through the newest version of the Madhya Pradesh League, the place he smashed 239 runs in simply 4 matches at a staggering strike fee of 177.04, together with a 115 off 56 balls. Known for his fearless method, Raghuwanshi has developed a status for his audacious “no-look” higher minimize, a shot that has rapidly change into his signature.
In a becoming twist, the teenager’s IPL debut got here against, and in entrance of, his idol, Rohit Sharma. Despite his home success, an IPL contract had eluded him till Lucknow Super Giants secured his companies, providing him a platform to showcase his expertise on the largest T20 stage.
LSG additionally made one other notable change, bringing in Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, who joined the squad after a short absence attributable to private commitments. However, Inglis had a short-lived outing, scoring 13 off simply 5 deliveries earlier than holing out to long-on off the bowling of AM Ghazanfar.
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