MI VS KKR MATCH 12

The gold has glittered at Wankhede, and it's with the blue shade of the home side. A commanding win for Mumbai Indians as they get off the mark on the points table with a big win. KKR will be going back to the drawing board to reassess their strategies and come back strongly in their next outing when they host SRH at home, a couple of days later. Well then, that is a wrap from this classic clash. But worry not, games come thick and fast in the IPL as we move into the new month of 2025. April kicks off with another belter of a game lined up for you as the Lucknow Super Giants take on the Punjab Kings in Match number 13 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium of Lucknow. Both teams are coming on the back of winning momentum. That game will be played on Tuesday, April 1st, and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). But do make sure you mark your presence for the pre-match analysis and an exciting build-up. But from here, we take your leave. Take care, cheers!

The debutant, Ashwani Kumar, wins the PLAYER OF THE MATCH award for a brilliant four-wicket haul, and dismissing some of the key players of the KKR batting unit. He says that he is delighted to get this opportunity. He credits his journey from a small village to the grand stage of Wankhede to years of hard work and dedication. He admits to feeling a bit nervous before the game but is determined to make the people back home proud. He vows to keep contributing and win games for Mumbai Indians in the matches to come.

The captain of Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya, is up for a chat now. Begins by expressing his satisfaction at winning at home, and says everyone chipped in nicely. Adds it is challenging to pick one guy here and there. Mentions that this wicket offered more. Appreciates Ashwani Kumar and says he was brilliant with the ball. Further adds, it is all about the scouts as the MI scouts have travelled a lot and have picked up the talented players. Says Kumar got a good movement in the practice match that they played and mentions that with the kind of options that he has, they backed him. Says they have a team which blends well with young energy and experience and it feels good when youngsters step up responsibly.

The Presentation ceremony...

Ryan Rickelton of the Mumbai Indians is in for a chat now. He acknowledges that the ball was nibbling around early on and feels fortunate that Rohit Sharma got a few away to ease the pressure. Playing at Wankhede for the first time, he describes the experience as unbelievable and is eager to enjoy his time here. He is keen to observe and learn from the likes of Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik. Rickelton lauds the bowlers for executing their plans brilliantly, adjusting to the pace of the wicket, and delivering a phenomenal performance to restrict the opposition. When asked about Suryakumar Yadav’s trademark scoops, Ryan admits that those are shots he can’t even think of attempting and he marvels at SKY’s ability to pull them off so effortlessly.

The captain of Kolkata Knight Riders, Ajinkya Rahane, admits it was a collective batting failure on a good wicket to bat on, with not much assistance for the bowlers. He feels 190 would have been a good score and acknowledges that losing four wickets in the Powerplay made it difficult to consolidate. Stresses the importance of adapting quickly, and as a batter, you need to use the pace and bounce effectively here at Wankhede. He credits the bowlers for their efforts but concedes that they simply didn’t have enough runs to work with.

Earlier in the game, after winning the toss, MI inserted KKR to bat, who promptly lost both openers cheaply, including Rahane falling to Ashwani Kumar's very first IPL delivery. Despite promising signs from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, KKR crumbled to 45-5, forcing them to deploy Manish Pandey as an Impact Sub for batting reinforcement. The wickets continued to tumble despite Ramandeep Singh's late resistance with some lusty blows. Ashwani Kumar had a dream debut and finished with a stunning four-wicket haul in his IPL baptism, by dismissing big names like Rahane, Rinku, Russell, and Manish Pandey. It was a performance in unison by the MI bowlers that contributed to reducing KKR to a meager 116.

Mumbai Indians used the modest chase as a perfect platform to rediscover their batting form, especially in the top order. Though Rohit Sharma fell early, Ryan Rickelton shook off a hesitant start to find his touch, which is a promising development for MI as they aim to ascend the points table. KKR, meanwhile, must confront their middle-order fragility, with underwhelming contributions from key players like Rinku Singh and Andre Russell, exposing a weakness that demands urgent attention if they're to remain competitive in the tournament.

One solid partnership was all Mumbai Indians needed, and the Rickelton-Jacks combination delivered emphatically, deflating KKR's spirits. Rickelton raced to a commanding fifty while Jacks offered calculated stability from the other end until his departure. The finishing touches came from Suryakumar Yadav, who unleashed his signature strokes to guide MI across the line with confidence with 8 wickets in hand.

KKR's below-par total desperately needed early Powerplay magic to defend with the ball, but despite Spencer Johnson's probing new-ball spell that troubled Rickelton on both edges, those game-changing cluster of wickets never materialized. A few confident strokes quickly settled Rickelton's initial nerves, and while Andre Russell eventually claimed Rohit Sharma's scalp, MI had already seized control with a commanding 55/1 Powerplay platform.

Just like an employee sniffing a chance to log off from work on a hectic Monday, Mumbai Indians have finished off this game with an emphatic win with 7.1 overs remaining. Jokes apart, this win has inflated MI's net run rate to leaps and bounds, into the positive territory, while KKR, with this humongous defeat, have been pushed back to the bottom of the table.

SIX! Suryakumar Yadav finishes the game off in trademark fashion! On a good length, on middle and leg, Suryakumar Yadav just uses the pace on the ball. Gets low and manages to get under the ball. Laps it over deep fine leg for a six. Mumbai Indians register a thumping win and are off the mark in the 2025 IPL!

Slanting across, on a hard length, Ryan rides the bounce and steers it to the right of backward point for one more.

Very full, on middle, Suryakumar Yadav flicks it through mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Clever, very clever! Banged into the deck at pace, on off, Suryakumar Yadav arches back and ramps it over short third for four more. SKY brings up 8,000 runs in T20 cricket. MI are a hit away now!

FOUR! Up and over! On a short of a good length, pace taken off, this sits up to be hit. Suryakumar Yadav waits back and pulls it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Floated fuller and on the stumps, Suryakumar Yadav leans on it and turns it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.