Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s decision to move to Mumbai from New Delhi when he was only 11 proved to be a wise one.
The mentorship of Abhishek Nayar, the Kolkata Knight Riders head coach, at his academy helped Raghuvanshi with not just the kind of learning he required at that stage, but also provided a push which gives aspirants an edge over their peers. During that period, Raghuvanshi also received a fair share of guidance from current Mumbai head coach Omkar Salvi, who is at present the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowling coach.
Raghuvanshi made good use of that push, emerging as India’s highest run-getter (278 from six innings) in their triumphant U-19 World Cup
campaign in 2022. That accelerated his graduation to the senior level, as he made his Mumbai debut in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy in the 2023-24 season.
For Mumbai, there were occasions when the youngster impressed, which played a role in the Knight Riders acquiring him for his base price of ₹20 lakh before his IPL debut in 2024. In his first two seasons with the Knights, Raghuvanshi showed promise, averaging 23.28 and 33.33.
This year, his third in the IPL, Raghuvanshi already has three 50-plus scores and is KKR’s highest run-getter (268) so far.
After a bit of a lean phase this season, the 21-year-old turned it around with a well-compiled 59 off 47 balls on a tricky wicket in Hyderabad, which helped KKR chase down a 166-run target against Sunrisers Hyderabad last Sunday. Yes, the spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine had laid the platform for the Knights’ third win on the trot. But KKR still needed someone to anchor the innings, especially with batting not getting any easier against the older ball on a pitch getting slower.
Maturity & calmness
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the presence of his mentor Nayar as the KKR head coach is making Raghuvanshi feel a little more at ease this time. That has boosted
his mindset, which appears quite calm and in control. It helps him express better with the bat.
“Angkrish is a lovely kid with a very calm head on his shoulders. Being around him in the (Mumbai) dressing room gave me the feeling that he is someone who has a strong work ethic and is very passionate about the sport,” Salvi, also a former KKR assistant bowling coach, told The Telegraph.
“In this journey, there will be highs and lows, but what stands out for him is his positive mindset, and the way he analyses the situation and the response to it. I’m very confident of him excelling at the highest level with his skills and also for his positive attitude towards the game.
“He had always been a self-assured team-man and always thinks about the team first,” Salvi elaborated.
In Raghuvanshi’s own words, his focus is on reacting well to the ball, which was a standout feature of his batting in Hyderabad the other day. The Knight Riders would certainly want him to keep doing so to stay alive in the playoffs race.
