"Let Them Talk" — Rahane's 67 Was Not Enough as Rohit and Rickelton Demolished KKR

Ajinkya Rahane walked out to bat at the Wankhede on Sunday knowing there would be people questioning his place in a T20 lineup. He walked off after scoring 67 off 40 balls having answered every one of them.

A Return Worth Waiting For

Rahane last played a competitive match in December 2025, a three-month gap that had fuelled debate about whether the 37-year-old had any business captaining an IPL franchise in the T20 era. His response at Wankhede was measured, fluent and powerful — a half-century that formed the foundation of KKR’s total.

He was characteristically unfazed when he spoke about it after the match.

“I’m really happy the way I’m batting at the moment. I’m not here to show anyone how talented I am. Let them watch, let them talk, but I’m really happy the way I have improved my game in the last two-three years in the white-ball T20 format. It’s important to grow as a cricketer as a batsman, and that’s what I’m trying to do. People will keep talking and let them talk.”

KKR Batted Well, But Bumrah Made the Difference

KKR posted 220 for 4, with half-centuries from Rahane and debutant Angkrish Raghuvanshi — who lit up the Wankhede with 51 off 29 balls — and a late cameo from Rinku Singh at the death. It looked like a competitive total, and Rahane felt KKR were well on course for 235–240 before Jasprit Bumrah changed the equation completely.

“We all thought initially 220 was a good total, we were on the path to get around 235, 240. But those two overs from Bumrah made a lot of difference. I know why he’s such a great bowler.”

Bumrah bowled the 18th and 20th overs with set batters at the crease and conceded just 19 runs across those two overs — a squeeze that proved to be the turning point of KKR’s innings. He finished without a wicket but held MI’s bowling together when KKR threatened to go well past 220.

MI Chased It Down With Ease

Mumbai Indians made 221 look straightforward. Ryan Rickelton smashed 81 off 43 balls and Rohit Sharma struck 78 off 38, putting on a 148-run opening stand that essentially ended the contest as a contest. MI chased down 221 in 19.1 overs to win by six wickets, ending a 13-year opening match jinx in the IPL.

Rohit also broke Virat Kohli’s record for most IPL runs scored against a single opponent during his innings. Shardul Thakur picked up three wickets for MI with the ball.

KKR’s Middle-Over Problem Remains

Despite the strong individual performances, KKR’s fundamental challenge from IPL 2025 showed up again — their scoring rate in the middle overs slowed considerably, which ultimately cost them 15–20 runs. It is a pattern that will need addressing quickly if KKR are to be genuine contenders in 2026.

Match Scorecard

Result: MI beat KKR by 6 wickets.