From small-town cricket to stardom, Akshat Raghuwanshi’s aggressive batsmanship could possibly take IPL by storm

Akshat Raghuwanshi sat nervously in the Lucknow Super Giants’ dugout, waiting for his opportunity to bat in his debut Indian Premier League match. His chance came in the 11th over against Will Jacks of Mumbai Indians. But the moment Akshat stepped onto the field, all the chaos in his mind disappeared, and he was in the zone.

Jacks tossed the first ball up slightly, and Akshat latched onto it, sending it over long-on for a six. He would face only six more deliveries, scoring 11 before being caught and bowled.

“That is my instinct,” Akshat later told broadcasters. “If I get a ball in my hitting zone—whether it’s the first ball or any other—I will try to capitalise on it,” the 22-year-old added.

It is an approach he has consciously developed over the last four to five years, understanding the demands of modern-day T20 cricket, Krishna Pal Raghuwanshi, Akshat’s father, told Sportstar.

Although Krishna Pal believes Akshat’s naturally aggressive approach was not always fully appreciated within the system, the batter has remained committed to playing proactive cricket. “Akshat had a bit of a rebel attitude and was determined to play a certain style of cricket,” his father said. 

That attacking mindset has been built on the back of a strong technical foundation developed under Amay Khurasiya at the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) Academy in Indore. Khurasiya, the then chief coach of the residential academy, describes Akshat as a “phenomenal talent and a brave player.”

“Akshat was 11 years old when he came under my coaching at the MPCA Academy Programme,” Khurasiya told this publication.

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He was one of the youngest players selected for the academy programme. Krishna Pal recalled the story: “I first took Akshat for the academy trials when he was 10. He impressed Amay sir, but was considered too young at the time. The following year, I took him again, even though he was still technically underage. Amay sir recognised him. Akshat handled the Under-16 and U-19 bowlers well in the nets and was eventually selected.”

The move itself came with sacrifices. Krishna Pal wound up parts of his civil contracting business in MP’s Ashok Nagar and shifted to Indore to support Akshat’s cricketing ambitions. He returned only after settling his son at the academy. 

Like everyone else in the academy, Akshat too had a personalised programme focussed on building his technique, strength, shot positions, and balance, among other things. Soon, the talent became evident quickly as Akshat progressed rapidly through the age-group ranks—under-14 and under-16—and later captained the Madhya Pradesh U-19 side during the 2021-22 Vinoo Mankad Trophy, where he scored 176 runs in five innings.

One of the most famous stories from his age-group days involves his first meeting with coach Chandrakant Pandit. During a practice game in Gwalior, a 17-year-old Akshat was struck on the pads off the first ball, but Pandit, officiating as umpire, intentionally turned down the appeal. Akshat went on to score 165. Of course, that immediately caught Pandit’s attention.

A couple of years later, Akshat made his First-Class debut in the 2021-22 season with Pandit as the head coach. He marked the occasion with a century against Meghalaya. He followed it up with half-centuries against Punjab and Bengal in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively.

However, after a relatively quiet couple of First-Class seasons, Akshat was dropped from the senior side and sent back to the U-23 setup.

“It is very surprising for me that he has not been playing in the senior team regularly for the last couple of years,” Khurasiya said. “If he gets proper opportunities in MP cricket, his confidence will grow even more,” the former MPCA coach added.

After nearly a year away, Akshat once again pushed his case for a senior comeback with a stellar run in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League, where he scored 239 runs in just four innings, including a century. He returned to the List-A side and scored 169 runs in five matches at an average of 42.75.

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“More than improvement, what he needs now are opportunities. He should be given a run of three to four matches, and if he still does not prove himself, then a call can be taken,” Khurasiya opined.

While out of the senior side, Akshat continued to impress while playing for the IndianOil team alongside Abhishek Sharma. “In a couple of matches, Akshat was scoring even quicker than Abhishek,” his father said.

Those performances and interactions with Abhishek also earned him mid-season IPL trials with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings during the 2025 season, before Lucknow eventually picked him up for Rs. 2.2 crore at the 2026 auction after a bidding war with SRH.

It has been a long journey for Akshat, who hails from a small district of the State. Krishna Pal says that while his son was growing up, he considered shifting to Mumbai, but it would have been difficult to afford life there.

“The problem with coming from a small town is that players are often treated as an afterthought,” Krishna Pal said. “Had I taken him to Mumbai at that time, his name would probably have become more popular earlier,” he added.

After sitting out the first eight games, Akshat was finally drafted into the playing XI in a lower middle-order role, despite being primarily a top-order batter. But his versatility and strong foundation helped him adapt quickly.

“In the T20 format, you don’t have the luxury of time to settle in and then start playing your shots. My approach is to seize the opportunity and get off to a quick start as soon as possible,” Akshat said.

And he certainly seized the opportunity, announcing himself with a first-ball six.

Published on May 11, 2026