At the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night, the Mumbai Indians finally exorcised a stubborn ghost. A 13-year wait for a win in their opening game, spanning the last 13 editions of the Indian Premier League, ended with a vintage knock from Rohit Sharma and a coming-of-age statement from Ryan Rickelton, as the five-time champions outclassed the Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash.
Before Sunday, Mumbai Indians had never chased down a 220-plus target in their previous seven attempts, and they had not won their opening game of an IPL season since 2012. On Day 2 of IPL 2026, they shattered both jinxes in emphatic fashion, chasing down 221 in just 19.1 overs to seal a comfortable six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders. Having lost every season opener since their eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in 2012, MI finally broke the streak, putting on 224/4 to ace the record chase.
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Chasing 221, Mumbai Indians were off to a measured start before Rohit and Rickelton shifted gears. Rohit began cautiously, scoring 12 off his first eight balls, content to assess the conditions. Then came the shift. A short ball from Vaibhav Arora was picked up and dispatched into the stands, triggering a change in tempo. Soon after, Rohit backed away to carve Blessing Muzarabani over a deep backward point, forcing KKR to alter their plans.
At the other end, Rickelton wasted little time settling in. He took on Arora with back-to-back sixes, one lofted over extra cover and another whipped over deep midwicket. With pace on offer, both batters capitalised, and the powerplay decisively swung Mumbai’s way.
Rohit’s intent against Varun Chakravarthy stood out. He used his feet expertly, lofting him over covers, repeating the stroke, and then working him through square leg. The aggression was calculated and relentless. Rohit brought up his half-century off just 23 balls, the fastest of his IPL career and his 50th fifty in the tournament, as Mumbai raced to 80 without loss at the end of six overs.
Rickelton ensured the momentum carried on even after the field spread. He attacked Sunil Narine, slog-sweeping him over deep midwicket before clearing the ropes twice more in quick succession. His 24-ball fifty took Mumbai past 100 inside nine overs, effectively taking the required rate out of the equation.
Rohit and Rickelton put on 148 off 72 balls to firmly place MI in the driver’s seat before both fell to moments of brilliance from Anukul Roy in the outfield. It took a sharp running catch from Anukul off Vaibhav Arora to end Rohit’s 78-run knock studded with six fours and six sixes. One of the standout moments was a lofted hit over deep extra cover, followed by a brief hold of the pose, a gesture that brought the Wankhede crowd to its feet.
With the platform firmly set, the Mumbai Indians kept control of the chase. Suryakumar Yadav, introduced as an impact substitute, began with a scoop over short fine leg before falling to Kartik Tyagi for 16 off 8 balls.
Rickelton missed out on a well-deserved hundred after a moment of sharp fielding brilliance. A firm stroke off a length ball found Anukul at long-off, and the South African set off for a risky second. Sent back halfway, he was briefly impeded while turning, allowing Anukul to fire in a direct hit from the deep. Ryan Rickelton, stranded short, departed for a well-made 81 off 43, an innings that had all but sealed the contest.
With the required rate down to seven, Hardik Pandya started confidently. Although Tilak Varma fell after a brisk 20, Mumbai Indians completed the chase without much trouble. It was the unbeaten fifth-wicket pair of Hardik Pandya (18*) and Naman Dhir (5*) that took them over the line.
RAHANE, RAGHUVANSHI LIFT KKR TO 220
Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders had posted 220 for 4 after being asked to bat, with Ajinkya Rahane leading the effort. He began with a flick over long-on for six off Trent Boult and set the tone with clean striking. A wayward over from Hardik Pandya, which went for 26 runs, helped KKR build early momentum.
Finn Allen added 37 off 17 balls, attacking both pace and spin to push KKR to 78 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. The scoring rate remained high as KKR crossed 100 inside eight overs, with Rahane striking at over 200 at one stage.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi had a slower start but recovered well in the latter half of the innings, finding boundaries and clearing the ropes to bring up a 29-ball 51. He also had a moment of fortune when Rohit dropped a catch at the boundary when he was on 21.
KKR looked set to push towards a higher total, but Shardul Thakur provided timely breakthroughs. He dismissed Allen early in his spell and later removed Cameron Green, who was caught in the deep attempting to take on a short delivery. Thakur then accounted for Rahane with a slower cross-seam delivery outside off, which the KKR captain mistimed to cover.
The wickets slowed KKR’s progress in the middle overs, and despite a late push, they could not extend beyond 220. Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult went wicketless but were effective in the closing overs, keeping the scoring in check and preventing KKR from adding another late surge.
On a surface that offered true bounce and value for shots, Mumbai Indians approached the chase with control. Rohit Sharma set the tone with an innings built on timing and placement before expanding into range hitting, while Ryan Rickelton matched the tempo with a decisive contribution.
For Mumbai Indians, the result marked a departure from familiar early-season setbacks. This time, they began with a performance that combined assurance at the top and composure throughout the chase, setting the tone for their IPL 2026 campaign.
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