Will try to make IPL 2026 the turning point of my life, says LSG’s new recruit Raghuwanshi

Niharika Raina

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Akshat Raghuwanshi's cricket career took off after the Covid-19 pandemic, when a century on debut in the Ranji Trophy made him one of the batting stars in Madhya Pradesh, helping them clinch the title for the first time. 

Now picked by Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2026 auction for Rs 2.2 crore, the middle-order batter from Ashok Nagar is determined to make his first appearance in the ten-team tournament the biggest turning point of his playing career. "A turning point came after Covid-19, when I was playing in the U-19. I played well in U-19, and then I was picked for the Ranji Trophy, where I played well and made a hundred in my debut game.”

“After that, I think I scored fifty-plus scores in four straight matches, as we won the Ranji Trophy that year. Yes, this is the best opportunity for me. I will try to make this IPL the turning point of my life,” said Raghuwanshi in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

The middle-order batter was focused on IPL 2026 auction proceedings with his teammates in a division tournament, feeling every emotion as his name was called for bidding – from tension, to jubilation, and then a congratulatory message from India pacer Avesh Khan. “I was seeing the whole auction from the beginning itself. I was quite nervous. So, before my name was about to come, a few names were already running, then suddenly it was a bit like, what will happen, will anyone take me or not? As soon as my name came, the first bid was made.

“I had all my teammates with me and the boys started screaming. They got happy and started singing and dancing. After that, the TV turned off. So, I didn't even know what happened, and to which team I went? But then I got a call from Avesh bhaiya, as soon as the bidding was completed. He told me that Lucknow has taken me, as he's also in that team and congratulated me. That's when I got to know that I would be a part of LSG," he recalled.

The selection to LSG fulfilled a long-standing family dream. "My family was very happy. I mean, they had this dream from the beginning that I should do well in cricket. So, they are very happy and celebrated this feat very well," said Raghuwanshi.

Growing up in Ashoknagar, a place known for producing Sharbati flour, Raghuwanshi’s father laid the foundation of his cricketing skills. "I started playing cricket when I was 4-5 years old. My father used to make me play with a plastic or a rubber ball. I used to play all day long.

“But when I was 10-11 years old, I decided that I had to play cricket. Because they made me start playing very early, I started liking it a lot. It was a lot of fun to play, and so, it was a very quick decision in my life to play cricket (professionally). When I was 10 years old, I shifted to Indore, as playing facilities weren’t present in Ashoknagar."

His coaching transition also came at the right time. "My father was my coach when I was young. But when I was 10-11 years old, my coach was Amay Khurasiya sir. He was the head coach at the MPCA academy. So, he taught me the techniques and basics of the game."

Since featuring in Madhya Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy-winning campaign, Raghuwanshi’s career has experienced a lean period, but recent white-ball performances indicate a promising turnaround. In this year’s Madhya Pradesh Premier League, Raghuwanshi emerged as the most notable batter of the tournament despite not leading the run charts.

His explosive 105 off 45 balls against the Bhopal Leopards drew the attention of talent scouts, as he scored 239 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 177. Raghuwanshi acknowledges the pressure of expectations but also sees it as validation of his talent and abilities.

"Yes, absolutely. If you get to know that people have their eyes on you, then there is a little bit of pressure. But it also increases your self-belief a lot when other people are talking positively about you everywhere. So, you get a lot of confidence that I deserve to be at that level. With everyone saying good things about me, it helps a lot, and it feels really good when someone talks like this about me."

His strokeplay is a key element of his distinctive aggressive style in T20 cricket, refusing to wait until he is set before launching his onslaught against bowlers. "My aim while batting is always the same in T20s. If I get a little chance, that I can hit this ball for a four or six, then I give it a proper crack - whether it is the first or second ball, I don't see if I have gone or if I am set or not. If I feel that there is a ball in my area, then I take a proper chance on it, and it works for me."

His signature shot – the no-look upper cut over the third man - has been perfected through rigorous practice. "Not instinctively, but I have practised it a lot in the last one or two years, especially with plastic balls for facing the bouncer, because in T20s, the third man is always up.”

“In any situation, that area is always empty. So, whenever a bouncer comes, I try to hit it. While practising, I got so used to it that even without looking at the ball, if I put the bat on the ball, it comes out. Now, with practice, it has come so much in my muscle memory that it automatically comes out," he said.

Raghuwanshi credits fellow Madhya Pradesh batting stars Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer for shaping his mental approach towards pressure situations. "I get to learn a lot from people like Patidar and Iyer because in any tough situation, they tell me how to stay calm and composed.

“They always say that no matter what the situation is, have faith in yourself and keep batting. Normally, just don't think that this is the situation I have to get out of it or not. They just say, just keep batting and the team will get out of the situation. If you try to get out of it, then nothing can be done. But if you keep playing, you will get out of the situation. So, just try to stay there on the wicket."

As he prepares for his IPL debut after fulfilling his commitments in Madhya Pradesh, Raghuwanshi's main focus is on learning and developing the mental strength needed to excel at the highest level.

"My goal right now is to learn as much as I can from them about cricket. Like how to play, what should be the mindset, how to be calm in a situation, and how to increase my self-belief, these are my main goals. If I get a chance to play for the team, I will do my best to win the game for the team, and this is also one of my goals right now."

He concluded by emphasising self-belief as the foundation of his success and regarded IPL 2026 as a pivotal moment in his career. "I want to learn how to have self-confidence. The main thing in cricket these days is how good your self-belief is. The more self-belief you have, the better you can do in cricket. So, the main thing I want to learn is how to improve my self-belief."

--IANS

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