Rohit, Rickelton’s blistering fifties power MI to 6-wicket win over KKR

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians rode on blistering half-centuries from former skipper Rohit Sharma (78) and Ryan Rickelton (81) to comfortably beat Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets thus breaking the hoodoo of not winning any of their opening games in last 13 editions of the IPL, here on Sunday. While they had lost each of their first matches of an IPL edition since beating Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in 2012, five-time winners Mumbai Indians hit full throttle in their chase of 221, replying with 224/4 in 19.1 overs.

Playing his first T20 game since last IPL, former India and Mumbai Indians captain Rohit appeared to have sharpened his game a few notches as he smacked a 38-ball 78 with six sixes and as many fours.

At the other end, Ryan Rickelton made a belligerent 81 off 43 balls with eight sixes and four fours while making the most of two lifelines, helping Mumbai Indians finally collect those elusive two points from the first game.

Rohit was adroit in not just picking the lengths of the ball early or with his movement at the crease, but with some of the shots that he executed to perfection. Like against the lanky Blessing Muzarabani, the 38-year-old danced down the track to spank a short ball over extra cover for a six in the fourth over, or when he timed the ball as sweetly as it could be against Varun Chakravarthy to send it sailing over the cover for another six in the next.

And those quintessential Rohit’s hits over cover were on display too, one of which was unleashed effortlessly against Kartik Tyagi in the sixth as Rohit completed his half-century off a mere 23 balls.

At the other end, Rickelton blissfully took down KKR’s mystery spin duo of Sunil Narine and Chakravarthy, targetting the leg-side boundaries to clear the ropes.

Rohit and Rickelton put on 148 off 72 balls to put MI in the driver’s seat before falling to Anukul Roy’s brilliance in the outfield. It was the fifth-wicket pair of Hardik Pandya (18 not out) and

Naman Dhir (5 not out) that took MI over the line.

Earlier, skipper Ajinkya Rahane (67) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51) struck vital half-centuries but Kolkata Knight Riders posted a par score of 220 for 4. On a placid wicket, Shardul Thakur (3/39) provided Mumbai crucial breakthroughs as their bowlers could not really impose themselves in their maiden outing. Both senior pacers Trent Boult (0/38) and Jasprit Bumrah (0/35) went wicketless but India pace spearhead’s 18th and 20th over stopped KKR from getting closer to 250.

Rahane began with a wristy flick over wide long-on with exquisite timing for a six off Boult in the first over.