Mumbai: Mumbai Indians registered a thrilling six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, chasing down 220 with 224/4 in 19.1 overs in front of a roaring home crowd. Kolkata had earlier posted a formidable 220/4 in their 20 overs.
With this victory, Mumbai Indians achieved a rare milestone—winning their opening match of an IPL season for the first time since 2012, ending a 14-year wait.
The opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton turned the chase into a one-sided affair with a stunning 148-run partnership. Rohit smashed 78 off 38 balls, including six sixes and six fours, while Rickelton scored 81 off 43 balls with eight sixes and four fours.
Explosive start seals the chase
Responding to a daunting target, Mumbai got off to a sensational start. Rohit and Rickelton raced to 112 runs in the first nine overs at an astonishing run rate of 12.44.
Both batters brought up their half-centuries in quick time—Rohit in 23 balls and Rickelton in 24 balls—dominating even experienced bowlers like Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, who found no answers to the aggressive strokeplay.
Rahane, Allen power Kolkata to 220
Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders made full use of batting first with a strong start. Ajinkya Rahane led from the front with 67 off 40 balls, hitting five sixes and three fours, while opener Finn Allen added a quickfire 37 off 17 balls.
Wicketkeeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi contributed 51 off 29 balls, and Rinku Singh remained unbeaten on 33 off 21 balls, taking Kolkata to a strong total of 220.
Also Read:Dharavi Premier League Season 3 Winner: Dharavi Eleven Clinch Title with Last-Ball Six
For Mumbai, Shardul Thakur claimed three wickets, while Hardik Pandya picked up one. However, bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult and Mayank Markande went wicketless.
Afghanistan’s debutant spinner Allah Ghazanfar had a disappointing outing, conceding 51 runs in his four overs.
Match to watch on Monday
In Monday’s fixture, Rajasthan Royals will take on Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati (7:30 PM IST). Riyan Parag will lead Rajasthan, while Ruturaj Gaikwad captains Chennai.
Chennai will miss injured MS Dhoni and aggressive batter Dewald Brevis. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Rajasthan’s 15-year-old left-handed opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi.