Synopsis: A 143-run stand for the opening wicket between Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma helps MI chase down 229 runs against LSG.
Sunday may have been optional nets, but Rohit Sharma spent an hour honing his batting skills under the evening sun. It was perhaps an indication that he was fit and raring to go, and on Monday, with Mumbai Indians (MI) needing to win to halt their losing streak, he delivered with the bat, much to the delight of the capacity crowd at the venue.
The Wankhede Stadium roared in delight as Rohit Sharma made his way down the stairs and into the middle to bat for the first time in three weeks. Playing as an impact sub, he would have hoped for an easy chase to mark his return, but his bowlers were not as grateful, conceding 228 runs in 20 overs.
If there was pressure, it did not show early. It was Ryan Rickelton who took charge. Fresh from a century in the previous home game against SRH, the left-hander started briskly, scoring 15 off his first five balls and immediately putting the bowlers on the back foot.
That early burst helped Rohit ease in. LSG needed powerplay wickets to take early control of proceedings, but Rickelton ensured they never settled. He attacked both Mohammed Shami and Mohsin Khan, taking MI to 50 in five overs and setting the tone for the chase.
While Rickelton’s early fireworks had ensured that MI were not behind the eight-ball, the anticipation from the capacity crowd about Rohit finding his groove was only rising with each passing over.
Ryan Rickelton of Mumbai Indians walks back to the pavilion after getting out during the Match 47. (Photo by Vipin Pawar / CREIMAS for IPL)
He finally found his rhythm in the sixth over, taking Avesh Khan for 21 runs, which included two fours and two sixes. It was the kickstart he needed, and it eased the pressure on the South African at the other end.
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LSG’s bowling approach made things easier. They relied largely on pace, using four seamers and just one spinner. Once Rickelton and Rohit got used to the pace of the surface, strokeplay became simpler. There was little variation to disrupt their rhythm.
Rickelton brought up his half-century off 21 balls in the eighth over as MI edged towards the 100-mark. An over later, it was Rohit’s turn to reach his fifty with a six over long-on off left-arm spinner M Siddharth.
The pair put MI in the ascendancy at the halfway mark and at 127/0, laid the ideal foundation to chase the score down. The onus was now on Pant to make things happen, but none of his bowlers looked capable of answering their captain’s call.
The stand was finally broken by Mohsin Khan in the 11th over as Rickelton fell for 83 in 32 balls, after putting on 143 runs, for the first wicket with Rohit. In the last few matches, only one of MI’s two opening batsmen had come good. On Monday, when both fired together, MI ran away with the game.
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Rickelton’s dismissal had little effect on Rohit, who remained on the attack against a bowling unit that had lost its bite. He was most severe on Avesh, who was at the receiving end of some sumptuous strokes from his bat, a six over cover-point in the 13th over being the best of the lot.
The right-hander took 35 runs off the pacer, which included three fours and three sixes. He looked good for more, but the strategic time-out led to his undoing as Siddharth induced a top edge after the break. His 84 off 44 balls had six fours and seven sixes. The Wankhede crowd that had lost its voice in the previous four home games finally had something to cheer for.
Pooran comes good
Before Monday’s game against MI, Nicholas Pooran had managed just 82 runs in eight matches in IPL 2026. For a batter of his ability, it had been a quiet and frustrating phase in a season where a lot was expected from his bat.
On a smaller ground and against a pedigreed yet out-of-form attack, he finally found his moment. Walking into bat in the third over, the left-hander did not take long to make an impact. He launched Will Jacks for a six off the fifth ball he faced, a shot that seemed to free him up.
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Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants plays a shot during Match 47. (Photo by Sumeet Parmar / CREIMAS for IPL)
What followed was a clean, confident display of hitting. He focused almost entirely on the leg side, repeatedly targeting the area from long-on to fine leg. The result was an innings with eight sixes, each maximum a blend of crisp timing and raw power. He brought up his first fifty of IPL 2026 in just 16 balls, putting the pressure firmly back on the opposition.
Pooran’s knock ended in the ninth over, but not before he had blasted his way to 63 off 21 balls and added 94 runs in 34 deliveries for the second wicket with Mitchell Marsh. For LSG, the hope would be that it was the start of bigger things from his bat for the rest of the season.
Brief Scores: LSG 228/5 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 64, Mitchell Marsh 44) lost to MI 229/4 in 18.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 84, Ryan Rickelton 83) by six wickets.
