Akshat Raghuwanshi is set to make his maiden Indian Premier League appearance for Lucknow Super Giants against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on May 4, 2026. Captain Rishabh Pant said at the toss that Raghuwanshi would come in as one of three changes for the match.
Pant said Josh Inglis would return, Mukul would go out, and Raghuwanshi would make his debut, with the bowling decision to come later. For Lucknow, that call lands at a time when batting has been a major concern and the team has been described as sitting at the bottom of the table, making the move more than a routine swap.
The 2.2 crore auction buy had not played an IPL match before this game, despite drawing attention through his rise in domestic cricket and the Madhya Pradesh League. He started playing cricket at the age of three under his father’s guidance in Gwalior, made a century on debut against Meghalaya in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy season, and followed it with a half-century in his next match.
Raghuwanshi also captained Madhya Pradesh’s U-19 side in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. His senior numbers have been mixed: 361 runs in 17 innings in List A cricket at an average of 22.81, and 63 runs in seven T20 matches at a strike rate of 131.25. But his most recent form was far more forceful, with 239 runs in four matches in the latest Madhya Pradesh League at a strike rate of 177.04, including 115 off 56 balls.
That kind of burst is what gave him wider recognition in 2025, even if the sample remains small compared with established IPL names. Lucknow also brought back Josh Inglis for the match after a brief absence for personal commitments, and he made 13 off five balls before being caught at long-on off AM Ghazanfar. For Raghuwanshi, the debut is both an overdue step and an immediate test: whether his domestic promise can hold up when the pace, pressure and scrutiny rise at Wankhede.