IPL 2026: Rohit Sharma, Rickelton fire MI to record chase, ending 13-year jinx
Mumbai Indians shattered their opening match losing streak, chasing down KKR's 220 with a six-wicket victory. Rickelton and Rohit Sharma's explosive 148-run stand powered the chase. Despite KKR's strong batting performance, including fifties from Rahane and Raghuvanshi, MI's bowlers, led by Shardul Thakur, managed to restrict them.
This win marks a significant start for MI in IPL 2026.
Mumbai: At last, the Mumbai Indians have ended their jinx of losing the first match of the IPL, an unwanted habit which they had been carrying for 13 long seasons — from 2013 to 2025. In fact, on Sunday night at the Wankhede Stadium, that unwanted record looked like continuing when the Kolkata Knight Riders raced away to an imposing total of 220 for four after being asked to bat first. However, their openers, South African ‘keeper-bat Ryan Rickelton (81, 43b, 4x4, 8x6) and former captain Rohit Sharma (78, 38b, 6x4, 6x6), who turned the clock back with some furious hitting, blew away KKR with their rollicking 148-run opening stand, which took just 72 balls.
The issue was never in doubt, even though the hosts lost a few late wickets. MI’s emphatic six-wicket win in the high-scoring game, which came with five balls to spare, gave much to cheer for their vociferous supporters. The first two days of IPL 2026 have now seen 200-plus totals chased down easily, almost in a farcical manner, which tells you how tough life is getting for the bowlers in the IPL.
At the moment, the contest between bat and ball is heavily lopsided in favour of the bat in the league. In a curious development, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav featured as an Impact Player and chipped in with an eight-ball 16 (3x4). Turning the clock back, Rohit unleashed some big sixes, with his trademark pull shot for a six in the sixth over off Kartik Tyagi standing out, while skipper Hardik Pandya (18 not out off 11 balls, 3x4) finished the job.
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