IPL 2026: Rohit-Rickelton Fifties Propel MI to 6-Wicket Win Over KKR; End Decade-Long Opening Match Jinx

MUMBAI

 Mumbai Indians (MI) started their IPL 2026 campaign on a winning note, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 6 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Powered by explosive half-centuries from Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton, MI successfully broke their long-standing opening match curse, securing a win in their first game of the season for the first time since 2012.

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The Chase: Rohit and Rickelton Shine

Chasing a challenging target of 221 runs, MI got off to a flying start. Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton put on a massive 148-run opening partnership in just 11.5 overs.

• Rohit Sharma: Scored 78 runs off 38 balls (6 fours, 6 sixes). He reached his fifty in just 23 balls—his fastest in IPL history and his 50th overall in the league.

• Ryan Rickelton: Smashed 81 runs off 43 balls, including 8 sixes and 4 fours.

• Closing Acts: Contributions from Suryakumar Yadav (16 off 8), Tilak Varma (20 off 14), and an unbeaten cameo by Hardik Pandya (18 off 11) guided MI to the finish line. MI reached 224/4 on the first ball of the 20th over.

For KKR, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, and Sunil Narine managed to pick up one wicket each.

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First Innings: KKR Posts a Mammoth Total

After losing the toss and being put in to bat, KKR posted a formidable 220/4 in their 20 overs.

• Ajinkya Rahane: The KKR skipper led from the front with a top score of 67 runs off 40 balls (5 sixes, 3 fours).

• Angkrish Raghuvanshi: The youngster impressed with a quickfire 51 off 29 balls.

• Other Contributions: Finn Allen (37 off 17) and Rinku Singh (33* off 21) provided the late-inning flourish.

Bowling Highlights: For Mumbai Indians, Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/39 in 4 overs, while captain Hardik Pandya claimed one wicket.

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