Key keywords: Raghu Sharma, Abhishek Sharma, IPL 2026, maiden IPL wicket, viral cricket celebration, Indian Premier League 2026, IPL viral moment, cricket player tribute, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad The 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) delivered one of its most heartwarming viral moments to date during the Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match on April 12, when 19-year-old debutant left-arm spinner Raghu Sharma pulled off Abhishek Sharma’s iconic 2025 viral celebration right after picking up his first ever IPL wicket. Raghu, who earned his first IPL cap after a standout domestic season where he picked up 32 wickets across formats, was brought into the attack in the 14th over of SRH’s innings, with the side chasing a 187-run target. On the third ball of his over, Raghu bowled a perfectly flighted delivery that lured opener Mayank Agarwal into a false shot, with the ball caught comfortably at deep midwicket. As soon as the catch was confirmed, Raghu dropped to one knee, pounded his right fist against his chest, then jumped up to execute the exact side-step and over-the-head “A” hand gesture that Abhishek made famous after scoring a 22-ball half-century against RCB in the 2025 IPL, a celebration that spawned millions of fan recreations across social media last year. Broadcast cameras immediately cut to the SRH dugout, where Abhishek was seen jumping to his feet, cheering wildly, and mirroring the same celebration back to Raghu, sending the 55,000-strong crowd into a frenzy of chants for both players. In a post-match interview after Delhi Capitals won the game by 18 runs, Raghu, who finished with figures of 2 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs and was named Player of the Match, revealed he had been practicing the celebration for months. “Abhishek bhai has been my idol since I started playing professional cricket. I watched his celebration go viral last year and told myself if I ever got my first IPL wicket, that’s the first thing I would do. When I saw him doing it back to me from the dugout, I almost cried, that’s the best moment of my life so far,” he said. Abhishek took to X later that night to share a photo of him and Raghu posing together after the game, writing “Prouder of this kid pulling off my celebration than I was when I did it myself. The future of Indian cricket is in great hands, can’t wait to watch you dominate for years to come”. The clip of the celebration has amassed over 230 million views across TikTok, Instagram, and X in 24 hours, with cricket legends including Sachin Tendulkar sharing the moment, noting that “this is the magic of the IPL – moments of connection and respect between generations of players that mean more than any trophy.”