The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 started well; in match No.2, the Mumbai Indians (MI) beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 6 wickets. It was their first win in the first game of the IPL after 14 years.
MI faced KKR at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. MI won the toss and elected to field first. KKR opened with captain Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen, and were off to a flying start, scoring 78 in the powerplay.
KKR openers gave a good start
It was that one over with Rahane smashing 26 of Hardik Pandya’s second over. Allen lost after giving the start the Knights needed, scoring 37 off 17 balls as Shardul Thakur got the breakthrough.
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Thakur also picked the second wicket for the side, with Cameron Green going back scoring 18 off 10 balls. Rahane was back in the dugout after scoring 67 off 40 balls. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh then controlled the game a bit and gave KKR back the momentum.
The former scored a half-century and was dismissed at the score of 51 off 29 balls. Rinku finished off with the score of 33 off 21 balls, and KKR finished off with a decent total of 220/4.
Rohit Sharma show at the Wankhede Stadium
Coming out to chase Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton gave MI a fiery start; both batters took charge in the power play. The former scored a half-century of 50 off 22 balls and looked dangerous in the run chase. During the game, the Knights’ skipper, Rahane, limped off the field, and Rinku Singh took over the captaincy. MI was 80/0 in the power play.
MI scored a hundred-run partnership for the first wicket. The two openers looked in blistering form and smacked the KKR bowlers all over the park. Rohit was dismissed on the score of 78 off 38 deliveries, and he was absolutely rampant on the night. The first wicket fell after 148 runs on the board, and MI won the game with five balls to spare.
But these boys will learn- Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane gave an update about his injury during the post-match presentation, and he felt okay, and it was just a cramp. He backed his bowlers despite a poor performance. He also gave an update on Cameron Green not bowling in the match.
Rahane said, “Feeling okay but lot of cramps, especially my calves. Hopefully I’ll be okay. It was really tough [for bowlers]. Inexperienced bowling attack, but these boys will learn. Strong batting lineup. So it’s a learning curve. I thought MI batted well. So our bowlers will definitely learn. [On playing the way at his age] I’m still young, KP [Kevin Pietersen].”
“But yeah really happy with the way I am batting in the moment. Hopefully Green starts to bowl soon and the combination will be slightly different. We batted really well but finding that balance with the ball is really important. [On why Green can’t bowl] That question you need to ask Cricket Australia.”
He concluded saying, “[On positives] We batted well and I thought Kartik Tyagi bowled well. Played after a while but he was really good. Lot of positives and long way to go.”
Also Read: IPL Points Table 2026: Updated Standings, Orange Cap, Purple Cap After MI vs KKR Match No.2