Mumbai Indians (MI) have confirmed that talented left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur has been ruled out of the rest of IPL 2025 after suffering bone stress reactions in both his shins. In his stead, the franchise has signed uncapped legspinner Raghu Sharma, who makes his first foray into the Indian Premier League.

Puthur, who made an impressive debut earlier this season, caught attention with a three-wicket haul against Chennai Super Kings. In his five matches for MI, he picked up six wickets with an economy rate of 9.08. Despite the setback, the franchise confirmed that Puthur will stay on with the squad to continue his rehabilitation under the supervision of the Mumbai Indians’ medical and strength & conditioning team.

"Vignesh will continue to be with the team to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation," MI stated. The 23-year-old, son of an auto-rickshaw driver, was one of MI’s standout rookie stories this season and quickly became a fan favorite.

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Sharma Joins Mumbai Indians Squad Ahead of Crucial Matches

Taking his place in the squad is 32-year-old Raghu Sharma, a right-arm leg-break bowler from Jalandhar, Punjab. Sharma has previously represented Punjab and Puducherry in domestic cricket. Though this is his first official IPL stint, he has been part of the Mumbai Indians' net bowling group and joins the main squad at his base price of INR 30 lakh.

With solid domestic credentials, Sharma brings experience to the side. In 11 first-class matches, he has claimed 57 wickets at an average of 19.59, including best bowling figures of 7 for 56. In the List A format, he has 14 wickets from nine games, and in the T20 format, he has three wickets from as many appearances.

MI have turned their season around after a sluggish start, having now won five consecutive matches and climbing to third on the points table with 12 points from ten games. With Sharma coming in, the team will be hoping to maintain their winning momentum as they head toward the business end of the tournament.