Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton chased down the huge target with the swagger of street fighters.
Every hit to the boundary and over it was etched with a question to the bowlers: How dare you bowl to us?
Key Points
- Mumbai Indians chased down a daunting 221 run target against Kolkata Knight Riders, ending a 13-year opening match jinx.
- Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton delivered an aggressive batting masterclass, dismantling bowlers with fearless strokeplay throughout the chase.
- Shardul Thakur's three-wicket haul earned Player of the Match despite the game being dominated by batters.
Cricket becomes exciting when a jinx is broken and flung into the Arabian Sea.
It turns into a spectacle when a target of 221 runs is chased with brilliant, aggressive batting.
Even more, it turns magical when the home team wins, and that too at the historic Wankhede stadium, where many spectacular victories have been celebrated in the past.
All of this happened on March 29, during the second match of the Indian Premier League 2026, when Mumbai Indians won by six wickets over Kolkata Knight Riders ending a 13-year jinx of not having won their opening game since 2012.
For fans who enjoy watching bowlers dominate, this was not their day.
It was sheer massacre of the bowlers, so much so that if a bowler managed to deliver two dot balls in a stretch, he became a hero.
Hence, it was not surprising that Mumbai's Shardul Thakur, who bagged three wickets, was awarded the Player of the Match award despite some spectacular batting performances.
Batters Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton chased down the huge target with the swagger of street fighters.
Every hit to the boundary and over it was etched with a question to the bowlers: How dare you bowl to us?
At one stage, both Sharma and Rickelton resembled exorcists, working to erase the jinx of Mumbai not having won their first match of an IPL season since 2012.
Exorcists usually perform rituals to weave their spell and end the jinx; but at Wankhede it was just the bats casting the spell and bowlers praying for mercy.
It was nothing but carnage without caution.
It's always a treat to watch Rohit walk out to bat with his languid grace.
While he went about tearing apart the bowling attack, the roar from the crowd could have very well been heard by his neighbours in his apartment complex at Worli.
It may have also disturbed the peace of non-cricket fans who would have preferred to spend their Sunday evening peacefully on Marine Drive or Chowpatty beach nearby.
When Rohit effortlessly dispatched a rising delivery for a six into the stands, it felt like he could even convert brutality into poetry.
Rickelton exhibited all the brilliance of an aggressive left-hander.
He pierced gaps with elegance, and it was a treat to watch him dance down the track to hit into the stands.
His strokes were such that he seemed never to have heard the word 'pressure' or ever experienced nerves!
Earlier, KKR's Ajinkya Rahane had crafted a captain's innings.
The timing and placement of his shots revealed that though he is only a few days away from celebrating his 38th birthday, he is still a classy player -- a master of placing shots.
He accelerated the run flow like an experienced pilot wanting to lift his team to a winning total.
When he hit the Mumbai bowlers with ease, including the great Jasprit Bumrah, who went wicketless, one got the feeling that a total of 220 might not be enough for a win.
Although the wicket had grass, no one thought it would be a batter's paradise. Bowlers looked like they were caught in a storm with no shelter.
In fact, spectators had to take shelter from the shower of sixes. Bowlers who attempted yorkers were unable to execute them due to the pressure from the batters.
They produced variations, but all in vain. The batters were hitting with audacity, and it was relentless.
To hunt down a target of 221 with one over to spare says it all.
After Royal Challengers chased a total of 201 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first match of this season, it looks like in this edition of the IPL, totals don't win matches anymore.
The intent to win breaks everything -- even jinxes -- and the hearts of even the best of bowlers.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
© 2026