Mumbai: Finally, Mumbai Indians Their jinx of losing the first match of the IPL is over, an unwanted habit they had for 13 long seasons from 2013 to 2025. Indeed, on Sunday night at the Wankhede Stadium, that unwanted record looked set to continue as Kolkata Knight Riders posted 220 for four after being asked to bat first. However, their openers, South African keeper-bat Ryan Rickelton (81, 43b, 4×4, 8×6) and former captain Rohit Sharma (78, 38b, 6×4, 6×6), who turned back the clock with some fury, blew KKR away with his opening stand of 148, which came off just 72 balls. The case was never in doubt, even though the hosts lost some late wickets. MI’s emphatic six-wicket win in a high-scoring game, with five balls to spare, gave much to their enthusiastic supporters. Totals of over 200 have now been easily chased in the first two days of IPL 2026, almost in a comical way, which tells you how tough life is getting for the bowlers in the IPL. At the moment, the bat-to-ball competition in the league is very much one sided in favor of the bat. In an interesting development, India’s T20 captain Surya Kumar Yadav Featured as an impact player and chipped in with 16 (3×4) off eight balls. Turning back the clock, Rohit hit some big sixes, Karthik Tyagi standing out with his trademark pull shot for a six in the sixth over, while skipper Hardik Pandya (18 not out off 11 balls, 3×4) finished the job. To make things worse for the visitors, their captain Ajinkya Rahanewho had earlier smashed a perfect 67 (40b, 3×4, 5×6), had to leave the field due to pain, leaving his deputy Ranko Singh to lead the team. What should really worry KKR going forward is the poor form of their lead spinner Varun Chakraborty, who conceded 0-48 in four overs and is clearly struggling for rhythm. Earlier, KKR batted in Spectrum, the senior batsman Rahane And young gun Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51, 29b, 4×4, 2×6) scored brilliant half-centuries, while New Zealand openers Finn Allen (37 off 18 balls, 6×4, 2×6) and Rinku Singh (33 not out, 21b, 2×6) scored 4 runs between 4x for KR. yesterday A night that saw the Mumbai players take the limelight in front of their home crowd, the Mumbai all-rounder. Shardul Thakur He was not to be outdone, playing a key role in MI’s win. Marking a brilliant outing for MI, the ‘Palghar Express’ took three for 39 in four overs and had the pick of the bowlers on both sides in a game that saw world’s top paceman Jasprit Bumrah go wicketless (0-38 in four overs) for once. Thakur dismissed Allen (caught at wide long-on) in the sixth over to give MI a much-needed breakthrough at a time when KKR’s openers were going berserk. Using the slower balls and his variations cleverly, the 34-year-old then bought Cameron Green (18, 10b, 1×4, 1×6, brilliantly caught by a diving Sheriff Rutherford at deep cover) for Rs 25.20 crore, who was crossing to his KKR Hansebu (extra cover). A full delivery outside the off stump), to prevent KKR from running away with the game. KKR were given an electric start by Rahane, who scored his 34th IPL fifty, and Allen, who scored a match-winning unbeaten century against South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final earlier this month, as the opening pair put on 69 off just 32 balls to set the stage for a big total. Playing his first competitive match in three months — he last turned out for Mumbai on December 16, when he hit 72 not out off 41 balls to help Mumbai chase down 217 runs against Rajasthan in Pune in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy — Rahane, who was knocked out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and then looked to have a second half of the domestic Hard Trophy season during the last half of the trophy. come Rusty Batting beautifully, the veteran batsman soon picked up the length and hit some brilliant strokes, including a six off Thakur for four. Some have questioned KKR’s decision to make Rahane captain again this season, but the 37-year-old, who finished as KKR’s top run-scorer last season (390 runs in 13 matches at 35.45, with three half-centuries), looked determined to prove his worth. Launching an all-out attack, Allen showed long hops through MI debutant Afghanistan spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (0-57 in four overs), hitting him for two sixes and a four in the third over, which went for 17 runs. Rahane then hit back-to-back sixes off Hardik Pandya. The MI captain, who conceded 26 runs in that over.
