Mumbai Indians (MI) have officially signed leg-spinner Raghu Sharma as a replacement for the injured Vignesh Puthur for the remainder of the TATA IPL 2025 season. The 31-year-old spinner from Punjab, who has been part of MI’s support bowling setup, now steps into the spotlight for his maiden IPL stint.
Vignesh Puthur, who impressed fans with six wickets in five matches this season—including a memorable 3-wicket haul on debut against Chennai Super Kings—has been sidelined due to bone stress reactions in both shins. The injury will keep him out for the rest of the tournament. He will, however, remain with the squad to undergo rehabilitation with the MI Medical and S&C team.
Raghu, born on March 11, 1993, in Jalandhar, has been a consistent performer in the Indian domestic circuit. The right-arm leg-break bowler has played for Punjab and Puducherry, with an impressive 57 wickets in 11 first-class matches at an average of 19.59. His best figures—7/56—reflect his potential to deliver match-winning spells. In List A cricket, Raghu has 14 wickets from 9 matches, and he also picked up 3 wickets in as many T20 outings. Notably, he enjoyed a standout run in the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, grabbing 14 wickets in 9 games for Punjab.
The franchise acquired Raghu at his base price of INR 30 lakhs from the RAPP (Replacement and Auction Pool Players) list. His inclusion offers MI a much-needed spin boost as they eye a strong finish to the season. With experience, control, and a touch of mystery, Sharma’s elevation to the playing squad could well be the underdog story of the season—one to watch closely as MI recalibrate their campaign.