New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Angkrish Raghuvanshi is well-aware the T20 game is rapidly evolving. Since entering the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp in their triumphant 2024 season, where he wowed everyone with his ramp, reverse-sweep and scoop shots to make 163 runs in ten matches, Raghuvanshi had a productive IPL 2025 – making 300 runs in 12 games.

With IPL 2026 now 10 days away, the element of surprise that served Raghuvanshi, who hit a rapid 54 off 27 balls on his tournament debut, so well will be replaced by something more demanding – expectation of stepping up more frequently with the bat when the season begins. Ask Raghuvanshi about his goal heading into IPL 2026 and the answer from the soft-spoken right-handed batter is very simple.

“I think my mindset is still the same. It’s always to win games for my team and it will always continue to be that. As for the role I’m asked to play, that I’ll find out during this IPL and I will give my 100 percent for it. But my aim is to maintain my mindset and win as many games as I can for the team,” said Raghuvanshi in an exclusive conversation with IANS, facilitated by JSW Sports.

Life after IPL 2025 hasn’t been straightforward for Raghuvanshi – he was absent from Mumbai’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in the recent domestic season. But in the Vijay Hazare Trophy he underlined his worth, finishing as Mumbai’s second-highest run-scorer behind Sarfaraz Khan with 280 runs in seven outings.

His red-ball opportunities with Mumbai have been scarce – just four first-class appearances so far and is coming off playing for the U23 team in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy. But Raghuvanshi, the leading run-getter in India’s 2022 U19 World Cup triumph, has nothing but gratitude for the chance to constantly play the sport he loves the most.

“I think I love this sport and I’m just grateful for the opportunity that I get to play this sport. So I don’t take too much pressure on myself. I’m just enjoying the journey and trying to do as well as I can,” he said.

If there is one relationship that has shaped Raghuvanshi’s life and career, it is with Abhishek Nayar, who is taking charge as KKR’s head coach after being in an assistant role for a long time.

Raghuvanshi first encountered Nayar at his academy as an 11-year-old at Wilson College Gymkhana in Mumbai after coming from New Delhi and that bond has just gone stronger with every passing year. That famous post IPL 2024 trophy photograph with Nayar pinned on his Instagram profile says it all. “It was a dream come true for me.

“I got an opportunity to practice at his academy and I’d been practicing there for a month. Then he showed up and he started coaching me. I guess he felt that I was dedicated and I wanted to learn as much as I could. He could see how much love I had for the sport. I guess he decided to take me on then.

“He’s taught me how to be a better cricketer and a better person. Just everything I’ve learned in life, I’ve learned from him. So I think he’s a great cricketing mind and a great person and we will have a great season under him,” Raghuvanshi said.

On the technical front, Nayar’s influence shows up clearly in Raghuvanshi’s willingness to play the usual and unorthodox shots that require both skill and nerve. The methodology behind it is straightforward, as per Raghuvanshi.

“It’s because Abhishek sir makes me practice as hard as anyone can. His main motto is that if you practice very hard, put yourself under pressure in practice and you train as hard as you can, then matches become easy and that’s what I also felt worked for me,” he said.

Ask Raghuvanshi on what is the secret behind the dynamic environment in KKR and he points not to the stars in the dressing room or coaching staff, but to the franchise’s academy that keeps players connected through the year.

“It’s largely because of the KKR academy as well, because we practice with each other throughout the year. So I think when the tournament finally comes around, we all know each other very well. I think it’s one of the environments where everyone wants each other to do well. It’s a very rare environment and it’s a great, amazing atmosphere to be a part of.

“Everyone’s motivated and want to do well (this season). In every game we just try to do as well as we can. Every game we give it our all and obviously it’s different outcomes for every game. But for every game, the mindset is the same – that is to try to help the team to win and whatever the team needs,” he said.

The biggest takeaway from Raghuvanshi’s IPL experiences has been about not stagnating as a player. “My biggest learning is that everyone is growing and learning all the time, so you always have to improve. Every day you go out to play or go out to practice, you just always learn and try to get better because everyone around you is always getting better,” he said.

IPL 2026 will bring new international teammates for Raghuvanshi at KKR and he has already identified the people he wants to learn from a lot about cricket – Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra and assistant coach Shane Watson are all on his radar.

“I’m just looking forward to working with every one of them so I can pick their brains as to how they go about their cricket and I can learn from them and get better. They’ve done well a lot of times and that’s why they’re one of the best players in the world,” he said.

Through all of this, the support structure at home remains a constant for Raghuvanshi – his father Avneesh played tennis, while mother Mallika represented India in basketball. Add to it, his brother Krishang dabbled into professional tennis.

“I think my parents are both very supportive, and I can’t thank them enough for it. I’m very grateful for it. They just know that I enjoy the sport and they motivate me to work hard and just continue loving the game,” he said.

Raghuvanshi draws inspiration from Shubman Gill and AB de Villiers, but it’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s work ethic that fuels him the most. “I’ve been a big Cristiano Ronaldo fan growing up because I’m also a Manchester United fan. So I love Cristiano Ronaldo and I love how motivated he is always to do well – just his off-the-field habits is something that every youngster like myself can learn.”

Time will tell if KKR, who still face questions over their fast-bowling resources, are able to bounce back after a subdued 2025 season. For now, the IPL spotlight on Raghuvanshi will become brighter if runs keep coming for him if he continues to follow his mantra of staying grounded, always improving, and helping KKR win matches.

–IANS

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