Mumbai Indians end their 14-year opening-match jinx with a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders, powered by Rohit Sharma’s 23-ball fifty and Ryan Rickelton’s explosive knock.
IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians , Rohit Sharma (PC: IPL/X)
Mumbai Indians finally snapped their 14-year streak of losing season openers, registering a commanding six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign opener at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a daunting 221, MI rode on a sensational opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton to finally complete the chase in just 19.1 overs.
Advertisement
IPL 2026 | #MIvsKKR | Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 6 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.@IPL | @mipaltan | @KKRiders | #IPL2026 #RohitSharma #RyanRickelton #RinkuSingh pic.twitter.com/6Kjuzy63AA
Advertisement
— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) March 29, 2026
Rickelton smashed a blistering 81 off 43 balls, while Rohit rolled back the years with a vintage 78 off 38, as the duo added 152 runs for the first wicket to take the game away from KKR early in the chase.
Rohit, in particular, was at his fluent best, bringing up his fastest-ever IPL fifty off just 23 balls. The knock also marked his 50th fifty-plus score in the league, making him only the fourth batter to reach the milestone after Virat Kohli, David Warner, and Shikhar Dhawan.
After a steady start, Rohit switched gears in style, taking apart the KKR attack with a flurry of sixes. He targeted Vaibhav Arora and Blessing Muzarabani during the powerplay, helping MI race to 80 without loss in the first six overs.
Despite a brief wobble in the middle overs, where MI lost a few quick wickets, skipper Hardik Pandya ensured there were no further hiccups, staying unbeaten on 18 to guide the side home with five balls to spare.
Earlier in the evening, KKR posted a formidable 220/4 after being put in to bat. Captain Ajinkya Rahane anchored the innings with a composed 67 off 40, while debutant Angkrish Raghuvanshi impressed with a fluent 51 off 29.
The hosts, however, had the final say as MI’s explosive batting display overshadowed KKR’s strong total to seal a memorable start to their IPL 2026 campaign.
MI Playing XI:
Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur, Allah Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
KKR Playing XI:
Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen (wk), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani
Advertisement
