Mumbai Indians Star, Who Once 'Weighed 102 Kg', Reveals How MS Dhoni Inspired Him
Mumbai Indians spinner Raghu Sharma, who found himself in the headlines for his unique celebration after taking his first IPL wicket, revealed how he was inspired by MS Dhoni.
- Raghu Sharma found himself in the headlines for his unique celebration after taking his first IPL wicket
- Raghu an electrical engineer but decided to pivot to cricket after taking inspiration from MS Dhoni
- "I started at the age of 21, so all the cricket age-group opportunities were already over for me," he said
Mumbai Indians spinner Raghu Sharma found himself in the headlines for his unique celebration after taking his first IPL wicket. The leg-spinner showed a paper note containing a heartfelt message to the crowd after dismissing Akshat Raghuwanshi during the IPL 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants. Following the match, Raghu revealed how watching MS Dhoni hit the World Cup-winning six against Sri Lanka in 2011 motivated him to pursue cricket despite battling obesity and doubts over his future. Raghu, who comes from a family full of doctors and engineers in Jalandhar, became an electrical engineer but decided to pivot to cricket after taking inspiration from Dhoni and his stunning feat.
"I am talking about around 2011. Everyone in my family was doctors and engineers, so I became an engineer too - an electrical engineer. But considering my background, I was not fit. I weighed around 102 kilograms."
"Even my father told me that because of your obesity, you won't be able to do it. You will have to run a lot and work very hard. Cricket is not for you. I started at the age of 21, so all the cricket age-group opportunities were already over for me. But I was still determined and focused on my goal," he said.
Raghu kept working on his bowling despite facing major setbacks.
"I had complete faith in God and believed that if God exists, then I would definitely make it. For six days a week, I practiced only leg-spin bowling. Even now, I bowl 10 overs every single day. If you are a bowler, you have to keep bowling continuously. Eventually, your wrist starts working naturally," Raghu said.
Mumbai Indians bought Raghu for Rs 30 lakh in 2025 and retained him ahead of the new season. In 2025, he worked as a net bowler for the franchise before being signed as an injury replacement for Vignesh Puthur. Although he did not play a single game that year, he eventually made his debut against Chennai Super Kings in 2026.
MS Dhoni
Mumbai Indians