Rudra Pratap Dehari Selected for Mumbai Indians: Bastar’s young cricket player, Rudra Pratap Dehari is getting a lot of attention as a fast-bowling talent from Chhattisgarh. He is 18 and hails from Katekalyan in Dantewada district. Local reports say he has been placed in a Reliance development program that is linked to Mumbai Indians. This comes after a strong spell in age-group matches and domestic cricket which has helped him move to a larger stage.
From practising far away from India’s established cricket academies to impressing talent scouts with his pace and wicket-taking ability, Dehari’s rise has been rapid. His next opportunity is expected to take him to South Africa for further training and exposure.
Rudra Pratap Dehari is a young right-arm fast bowler from Katekalyan in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, part of the wider Bastar region. At around six feet tall, the 18-year-old uses his height and pace to generate bounce and trouble batters.
His journey stands out because it began away from the major cricketing centres that usually produce India’s next generation of fast bowlers. According to reports, Dehari initially trained in Dantewada before moving to Jagdalpur for better continuity in his cricket development and later progressing through Chhattisgarh’s state cricket pathway.
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Dehari first made a strong impression in age-group cricket while representing Chhattisgarh Under-19 in the 2025 Cooch Behar Trophy. He finished the tournament with 23 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls.
He carried that form into the 2026 Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) with the Bilaspur Bulls. Over five games, Dehari picked up 15 wickets and his average sat at 9.33. His best spell was 4/23. Those results put him among the better bowlers in the tournament.
A main reason people keep talking about him is his pace. From reports in Chhattisgarh, he has been viewed as someone who can bowl around or beyond 140 kmph.
At 18, a fast bowler with that speed, along with his height and his ability to get bounce, already looks like a promising option. Still, how long he can keep that pace at higher levels will rely on what happens as he grows how well he hits his line and how his training load is managed as he moves up.
Dehari’s performances in age-group cricket and the CCPL have reportedly put him on the radar of the Mumbai Indians talent network. A Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) official told that he was among a group of promising players selected for a Mumbai Indians-associated exposure programme, with the possibility of progressing further if his development continues.
Reports have also indicated that the young pacer is set for a training and exposure stint in South Africa, where selected players are expected to take part in training sessions and practice matches against stronger competition.
Not yet. The current reports are about his selection for a development or exposure pathway associated with Mumbai Indians and Reliance, rather than an official place in the Mumbai Indians IPL playing squad.
Getting picked for a development set up can bring good coaching and chances to learn, but it does not mean an IPL deal is certain. Dehari still has to keep up his form and work his way forward in the cricket ladder. Several high-profile leaders from Chhattisgarh including Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao have praised him. Right now, Dehari’s job is to use the next rounds of practice and match exposure well.
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