Mumbai: Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton put up a splendid display of opening batting as Mumbai Indians registered their first home win of a new IPL season since 2012, beating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Sunday.
It was stupendous batting from the MI openers with Rohit’s 78 off 38 balls with six fours and as many sixes knocking the wind out of KKR’s sail in the company of an unstoppable Rickelton, who struck 81 off 43 balls that landed Mumbai Indians their first win in the opening game of an IPL season after 13 seasons.
The opening-wicket partnership of 148 runs off 72 balls laid the solid foundation on which Mumbai Indians were able to mount their chase of 221 and the five-time champions eventually cantered home at 224/4 in 19.1 overs for a record-breaking victory.
Hardik Pandya and Naman Dhir were at the crease on 18 and five respectively.
Shardul Thakur was declared the player-of-the-match for his excellent bowling picking 3/39.
Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane’s terrific captain’s knock of 67 and Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 51 powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a splendid 220/4 in 20 overs against Mumbai Indians.
Rahane’s 67 off 40 balls with three fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 167.50 and Raghuvanshi’s timely 51 off 29 balls at a strike rate of 175.86 propelled KKR to their eventual total of 220 on a typical high scoring Wankhede track.
For Mumbai Indians, Shardul Thakur was among the pick of the wickets scalping 3/39 while Hardik Pandya picked up a wicket for 39 runs in three overs.
Mumbai Indians would be hoping to break the ice of traditionally losing their opening matches of the IPL season over the years as they aim to chase down 221 with two T20 World Cup winning captains and four 2026 T20 WC winning stars in their squad.
Earlier, Trent Boult was wayward in the first over of the match bowling two wides before KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane hoisted him for a six over mid-on as ten runs came off the over.
Skipper Hardik Pandya kept it tight in the second over for Mumbai Indians giving away just four runs as the Knight Riders struggled to get going.
Debutant Allah Ghazanfar was introduced in the third over and Finn Allen cashed in on his errors to slam a four and two sixes off consecutive balls in the over as 17 runs came off the over for the visitors.
Rahane went berserk in the fourth over as he smashed captain Pandya for two consecutive sixes while Allen rubbed salt to the India all-rounder’s wounds with three fours in the same over as the Knight Riders brought up their fifty in just four overs.
At 57/0 after four overs, KKR had struck their fastest fifty in IPL history.
Shardul Thakur finally saw the back of a menacing Allen in the last over of the powerplay getting him caught at long on by Tilak Varma for 37.
KKR finished the powerplay at a healthy 78/1 in six overs and well-set for a 200-plus total.
Rahane seemed unstoppable as he was going at a strike rate of 200-plus and had reached 45 off 22 balls with a six off Mayank Markande in the seventh over.
Cameron Green, on MI debut, slammed a massive six off Markande on the last ball of the same over as KKR reached 94/1 in seven overs.
Just when it seemed that Kolkata Knight Riders were onto a big one, Thakur struck again in the ninth over as he had Green caught at deep cover for 18 as the home team kept chipping away despite the high scoring rate.
Rahane’s fifty came up in the 10th over as he reached the landmark off just 27 balls with three fours and four sixes, his 34th IPL fifty.
Thakur could do no wrong on the day as he sent Rahane packing in the 14th over for 67 as Mumbai Indians put the plugs on KKR’s scoring as the run-rate was hovering at a little over 10 from being at 12 at one stage.
Raghuvanshi, who started rather sedately, came to the party in the 15th over with a four and a six, with the former coming off a catch grassed by Rohit Sharma at long on.
Thakur’s 17th over costed 14 runs as Rinku and Raghuvanshi struck a four and a six respectively to keep the KKR run rate ticking at a healthy rate and take them closer to a 200-plus score.
