Rohit, Rickelton’s 148 Partnership Sinks KKR at Wankhede
Thirteen years. That’s how long Mumbai Indians had waited to win an IPL opening game — and on Sunday night at Wankhede, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton made absolutely sure the wait ended. MI chased down 221 in 19.1 overs, winning by six wickets to announce themselves at the start of IPL 2026 in the most emphatic way possible.
Rohit was something else. The 38-year-old, leaner and sharper than he’s looked in years, smashed 78 off 38 balls — six fours, six sixes — with his 23-ball half-century the fastest of his entire IPL career. Rickelton, playing just his second IPL season, matched him blow for blow: 81 off 43 with eight maximums. Their 148-run opening stand came in just 72 balls — the highest partnership for any wicket in Wankhede history. MI had never chased 220-plus in seven previous attempts. They did it with five balls to spare.
“Just him — he’s freed himself up,” MI coach Mahela Jayawardene said simply of Rohit post-match. Shardul Thakur took 3/39 to earlier restrict KKR, despite Rahane’s 67 and Raghuvanshi’s 51. “It has been a long wait. Every time we wanted to begin on a high — thirteen years is a very long time,” a team official told reporters. The wait is over.