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'A Strong Mind And Big Heart': Jayawardene Lauds Raghu's Journey From Net Bowler To Maiden IPL Wicket

Indian Premier League: Mumbai Indians (MI) coach Mahela Jayawardene lavished praise on 33-year-old spinner Raghu Sharma after he picked up his maiden wicket in the Indian Premier League (IPL), highlighting the bowlers journey from being a net bowler last season to making a mark on the big stage. Raghus breakthrough came during the Mumbai Indians six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Wankhede Stadium, where the hosts chased down a daunting 229-run target in 18.4 overs. The victory was powered by a 143-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma (84) and Ryan Rickelton (83), helping MI register their highest-ever successful chase at the venue. Jayawardene revealed that Raghus rise has been built on relentless hard work and determination, recalling how the youngster pushed himself even during a training stint in Sri Lanka. You guys remember he was a net bowler last year, worked really hard, got into the squad, never stopped working hard. He came to Sri Lanka; some people dont know he came for a 10-day camp. He wasnt bowling well, so he worked even harder in Colombo in that hot sun, Jayawardene said in a video released by the Mumbai Indians on X. In a match dominated by big scores with LSG posting 228/5 after Nicholas Poorans explosive 63 off 21 balls, Raghu made his moment count by claiming his maiden IPL wicket of Akshat Raghuvanshi, providing a key breakthrough in the middle overs. Raghu delivered a composed spell against the Super Giants, returning figures of 4-0-36-1. The former Sri Lanka captain added that Raghu had made a promise to return stronger this season, something he has now begun to deliver on. And he promised one thing, he said, Ill be ready for this year. So a lot of hard work, well deserved to be here, a strong mind and a big heart, well done, he added. The former Sri Lanka captain added that Raghu had made a promise to return stronger this season, something he has now begun to deliver on. Also Read: Live Cricket Score Raghu came in as a replacement for Vignesh Puthur in IPL 2025, but didn't get a chance to play a game in that season. He made his debut on Saturday against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but returned wicketless. Article Source: IANS