Raghu Shivam Sharma is an Indian cricketer and right-arm leg-spinner, who has played for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League and for Punjab and Puducherry in domestic cricket. Sharma was born on March 11, 1993 in Jalandhar, Punjab and his journey to professional cricket has been quite unusual. He started taking cricket seriously only after the age of 18 as compared to many elite cricketers who enter a structured academy at childhood. Sharma began learning the game when he was a late starter and was inspired by India’s victory in the 2011 ODI World Cup. He was a pace bowler before he injured himself and became a leg-spinner. He learnt a lot of the art from watching videos of the legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne and practising over and over.

In this Article we will discuss about Raghu Sharma: Age, IPL, Career, Stats, Mumbai Indians, Net Worth & More

Who is Raghu Sharma?

Raghu Shivam Sharma is a professional Indian cricketer and right arm leg spinner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) club Mumbai Indians. He was born on 11th March, 1993 in Jalandhar, Punjab and represents Punjab and Puducherry in domestic cricket. Sharma’s career has been rather unusual as he did not start competitive cricket until he was 18 years old after India won the World Cup in 2011. He was a fast bowler in his initial career, but a bad hamstring injury called him to make a career change. He learned leg-spin by watching as many videos as he could of Shane Warne, before earning his debut appearance at age 33 in the IPL.

Raghu Sharma Age (As of 2026) 

Raghu Sharma was born on March 11, 1993. he is 33 years old in 2026. His zodiac sign is Pisces.

Physical Appearance, Fitness and Lifestyle 

The transformation of Sharma has been one of the things that have caught all the eyes is his body transformation. He was reportedly at 102 kg earlier in his cricket career and then he lost 30-35 kg by a disciplined training regime and lifestyle changes.

This change enabled him to get fitter and more mobile, especially for a spin bowler who could be required to bowl for extended periods.

Sharma is also known by making his personal life spiritual. Sometimes he has carried a tulsi mala (a garland of holy leaves) along with him in his appearance, owing to his religious and spiritual practices.

Early Life

Raghu Sharma grew up without playing at a traditional academies for cricket and his family, which was filled with doctors and engineers, were academic. Rather, his passion for the game was sparked by India’s historic World Cup victory in 2011. Motivated by the victory, he started training at the Jalandhar’s Burlton Park regularly. In his early days he began his career as a fast bowler. But his pace hopes were suddenly cut short by a hamstring injury. He refused to give up the game and went on to completely change his style, by learning the arcane skill of right arm leg spin.

Family Background

Raghu Shivam Sharma was born and bred in a traditional Hindu Brahmin family in Jalandhar, Punjab where academic achievement was considered to be the most important thing. His parents are very well educated medical and engineering professionals. Born in a family where education was more important than sports, Raghu originally studied electrical engineering. At age 18, changing his career to cricket, his father and mother offered much emotional and financial encouragement during 15 years of rejection at home. Raghu has intentionally not disclosed the exact professions and first names of his siblings and parents (in public sports media records) for preserving personal boundaries and maintaining privacy.

Personal Life

Sharma has kept his personal and romantic life in check and well-under covered. His unusual cricket career, his home performances, his fitness transformation and his spiritual beliefs are most reported on.

Raghu Sharma Professional Career Highlights

Domestic Cricket

Sharma’s career homecoming started in Punjab. He made his first-class debut in 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season.

His red-ball delivery was an integral part of his selection argument for promotion. He had the ability to deliver some brilliant feats of bowling, such as his 5-wicket and 10-wicket first-class match-winning performances.

He was then called up to play for Puducherry for the first time and subsequently played competitive domestic cricket for the state.

The googly is one of the variations he has employed in his bowling and his approach has been largely based on the traditional leg-spin, flight and changes in pace.

Overseas Cricket

Sharma also looked for opportunities outside the Indian system. He played cricket in Sri Lanka for a period of time, including in the Galle area, where he gained experience in what people regard as a ‘spin bowler’s paradise’.

He then spent a time playing club cricket in England. During his time in England, he met top international spinner Imran Tahir, who is believed to have enriched Sharma’s skills and knowledge. Giving him exposure to other pitches, batters and tactics were important. These experiences were overseas.

Mumbai Indians and the IPL

Sharma’s association with Mumbai Indians began as a net bowler. His performances in the team’s training environment eventually brought him closer to the IPL playing squad.

In 2025, he became a mid-season injury replacement for Mumbai Indians. Rather than being a short-term opportunity, the association ultimately developed into a longer-term relationship.

Mumbai Indians retained him for 2026, giving him the opportunity to make his IPL debut. At 33, Sharma finally entered the IPL as a professional player after years of domestic cricket, overseas experience and repeated setbacks. His maiden IPL wicket was an emotional milestone. The handwritten note he displayed afterward, thanking his spiritual guru, parents and Mumbai Indians, attracted considerable attention online.

Stats

Interesting Facts

• Sharma took competitive cricket seriously after 18 years.
• The World Cup win in 2011 inspired him to pursue a serious career in cricket.
• He had begun as a pace bowler but went over to leg-spinning.
• He pretty much taught himself leg-spin by learning from Shane Warne videos.
• He lost around 30-35 kg of his weight, which was around 102 kg.
• At one time, he was told that he was too old for a big shot.
• Cricket was his sport in Sri Lanka and England.
• He has also had a sensational first class career with several big bowlers’ displays.

Raghu Sharma Net Worth (As of 2026)

The professional Indian cricketer and right arm leg-spinner Raghu Sharma has an estimated net worth of ₹30 to ₹40 lakh. His primary source of income is from playing the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Mumbai Indians, where he was signed for the mid-season injury list in 2025 and had a contract of Rs 30 lakhs for IPL 2026.

Social Media Presence

Sharma is not as well known as some of the established Indian cricketers. After his IPL debut, his ability to make an impact on the internet skyrocketed, especially when fans celebrated his first IPL wicket emotionally.

Instagram– @raghu_sharma23 — 20.3K

Conclusion

Raghu Sharma’s story is a rare instance of perseverance in Indian cricket. He did not start playing cricket very seriously until after he turned 18, whereas many professional cricketers go into schemes of development when they are in their early childhood. Raghu was inspired from the win of the World Cup of 2011 in India and started working on his skills, primarily as a pace bowler. He has a history of injuries which led him to change to leg-spin and he has mostly self-trained himself from watching Shane Warne’s videos.

He then played for Punjab domestic cricket, Puducherry, played overseas cricket in Sri Lanka and England and experienced a roller coaster of selection ups and downs and a big fitness change. His stint with Mumbai Indians was the culmination of years of hard work. Sharma started as a net bowler and then went on to serve as the injury replacement for the team, but eventually secured a spot in the team and made his IPL debut at the age of 33 in 2026.

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