Mumbai Indians pull off record 221 chase vs Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede
Mumbai Indians started their campaign in style with a stunning run chase at Wankhede. They chased down 221 with ease, winning by 6 wickets and 5 balls to spare. It’s also their first opening-match win in the IPL since 2012. Kolkata Knight Riders put up a strong total, but MI’s batting proved too powerful, especially on a batting-friendly pitch where 221 wasn’t enough.
Mumbai Indians dominate as Kolkata Knight Riders fall short in record Wankhede run chase
Both teams got off to a blazing start in the powerplay, but the difference was that MI's opening pair went a few steps ahead to kill the game!!! Chasing 221, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton were unstoppable, with the former showing off his lazy elegance as ever and the latter proving his loyalty for getting a nod ahead of his experienced South African compatriot Quinton de Kock. Rohit and Rickelton slammed 80 runs in the powerplay and then continued their onslaught to add a 148-run stand.
KKR didn't have skipper Ajinkya Rahane's presence on the field for the major part of their bowling innings as he injured himself. Rinku Singh, the stand-in skipper, could do very little as he saw his bowlers being carted all over the park. Vaibhav Arora broke the partnership in the 12th over, dismissing Rohit, but the credit should go to Anukul Roy for his fielding brilliance.
Rohit hit a stylish 78 off 38 balls, hammering 6 fours and as many sixes, while Rickelton smoked a towering 81 off 43 balls, including 4 fours and 8 maximums before getting run out slightly controversially. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma got quick starts, but failed to stay till the end. Pandya and Naman Dhir did the required bit to seal a record run chase at the venue.
