Rickelton, Rohit ace record chase as MI vanquish opening game ghosts

Mumbai Indians ended a 5,107-day wait for an IPL season-opening win, chasing down a daunting target of 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium without a fuss. Rohit Sharma, who featured in the XI the last time MI won their season opener, played a huge role in the victory.

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 220/4 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 67 (40), Angkrish Raghuvanshi 51 (29), Finn Allen 37 (17), Shardul Thakur 3-39) lost to Mumbai Indians 224/4 in 19.1 overs (Ryan Rickelton 81 (43), Rohit Sharma 78 (38), Tilak Varma 20 (14)) by 6 wickets

MI needed a flying start and their openers provided exactly that. Rohit Sharma stole the show, announcing himself with a trademark pull off Vaibhav Arora launched over the midwicket fence. A 23-ball fifty, the fastest of his IPL career, set MI on their way, before Ryan Rickelton duly scored 81. KKR had no answers, and it didn't help that their skipper Ajinkya Rahane went off the field with cramps four overs into the defense.

A green-looking Wankhede pitch was deceiving, as Rahane, with Finn Allen, got KKR off to a flyer, with a 26-run over off Hardik Pandya as a highlight. Rahane top-scored with 67 and Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored a fifty. For MI, Shardul Thakur, on debut, delivered wickets on demand using his slower deliveries effectively.

Where did the momentum shift?

At the end of the 11th over, KKR were going at just under 12 per over. A three-over phase followed where they lost momentum as Rahane and Raghuvanshi struggled. Jasprit Bumrah's yorkers started the pressure, culminating in Thakur taking Rahane's wicket in the 14th over. Scoring just 19 runs from overs 12-14 cost KKR invaluable runs.

What did Jasprit Bumrah do?

Bumrah was the only bowler across both teams to go at under 9 per over. He attempted 17 yorkers, landing only six accurately and sending five full tosses. However, his second over—the 12th of the KKR innings—was critical and effective.

How did the debutants fare?

Finn Allen's breezy start came at the expense of another debutant, Allah Ghazanfar, who conceded 51 runs in his four overs. Cameron Green, KKR's big-ticket signing, scored 18 off 10 but did not bowl. For MI, Blessing Muzarabani failed to make a mark, while Thakur was the pick of the lot on debut. Sherfane Rutherford, also in his first outing for MI, did not get to bat.

Where do the teams go from here?

KKR head home for three games at Eden Gardens, starting with a clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday (April 2). MI travel to face Delhi Capitals in an afternoon encounter on Saturday (April 4).