Mumbai Indians chased down 221 with 5 balls to spare against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 Match 2 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 29, 2026. MI won by 6 wickets in a run-fest that produced 444 runs across both innings.
Ryan Rickelton (81 off 43) and Rohit Sharma (78 off 38) put on a brutal 148-run opening stand that effectively killed the contest. Shardul Thakur earlier picked up 3/39 to restrict KKR to 220/4, earning the Player of the Match award.
Match Summary: MI vs KKR, IPL 2026 Match 2
| Aspect | Info |
|---|---|
| KKR Score | 220/4 (20 overs) |
| MI Score | 224/4 (19.1 overs) |
| Result | MI won by 6 wickets (5 balls remaining) |
| Venue | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Best Batter (KKR) | Ajinkya Rahane – 67 off 40 balls |
| Best Batter (MI) | Ryan Rickelton – 81 off 43 balls |
| Best Bowler (MI) | Shardul Thakur – 3/39 in 4 overs |
| Best Bowler (KKR) | Sunil Narine – 1/30 in 3 overs |
| Player of the Match | Shardul Thakur (MI) |
KKR Innings: 220/4 in 20 Overs
Finn Allen set the tone with an explosive 37 off 17 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes) at the top. He and captain Ajinkya Rahane raced to 69 in just 5.2 overs before Allen fell to Shardul Thakur.
Cameron Green chipped in with a brisk 18 off 10, but Thakur struck again to remove him at 109/2 in the 9th over. Thakur then completed his three-wicket haul by dismissing Rahane for a well-made 67 off 40 (3 fours, 5 sixes).
Angkrish Raghuvanshi played a cracking knock of 51 off 29 (6 fours, 2 sixes), reaching his fifty off 28 deliveries. He and Rinku Singh (33* off 21) added 60 for the fourth wicket to push KKR past 200.
KKR’s powerplay total of 78/1 in 6 overs and their ability to reach 200 in 18.1 overs showed their batting depth. However, the Wankhede pitch offered no help to bowlers.
KKR Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane (c) | 67 | 40 | 3 / 5 | 167.50 |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi † | 51 | 29 | 6 / 2 | 175.86 |
| Finn Allen | 37 | 17 | 6 / 2 | 217.64 |
| Rinku Singh | 33* | 21 | 4 / 0 | 157.14 |
MI Bowling: Best Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shardul Thakur | 4 | 39 | 3 | 9.75 |
| Hardik Pandya | 3 | 39 | 1 | 13.00 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 4 | 35 | 0 | 8.75 |
| Trent Boult | 4 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-69 (Allen, 5.2), 2-109 (Green, 8.5), 3-145 (Rahane, 13.3), 4-205 (Raghuvanshi, 18.3)
MI Chase: 224/4 in 19.1 Overs
If KKR’s powerplay was aggressive, MI’s was even better. Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton went after the bowling from ball one and scored 80/0 in the first 6 overs without losing a wicket.
Rohit Sharma smashed his way to 78 off 38 balls (6 fours, 6 sixes). He reached his fifty off just 23 deliveries (3 fours, 5 sixes) and looked in destructive mood before falling to Vaibhav Arora in the 12th over.
Ryan Rickelton was equally devastating. The South African wicketkeeper-batter hammered 81 off 43 (4 fours, 8 sixes), bringing up his fifty off just 24 balls (2 fours, 6 sixes). Their opening stand of 148 runs off 70 balls was the backbone of the chase.
Suryakumar Yadav, the impact sub who replaced Jasprit Bumrah at the 11.5-over mark, played a quick cameo of 16 off 8 (3 fours). Tilak Varma added 20 off 14 before falling to Narine.
Captain Hardik Pandya (18* off 11) and Naman Dhir (5* off 2) finished the job in the 20th over. MI reached 200 in 16.6 overs and sealed the win with 5 balls remaining.
MI Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Rickelton † | 81 | 43 | 4 / 8 | 188.37 |
| Rohit Sharma | 78 | 38 | 6 / 6 | 205.26 |
| Tilak Varma | 20 | 14 | 4 / 0 | 142.85 |
| Hardik Pandya (c) | 18* | 11 | 3 / 0 | 163.63 |
KKR Bowling: Best Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Narine | 3 | 30 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Kartik Tyagi | 4 | 43 | 1 | 10.75 |
| Vaibhav Arora | 4 | 52 | 1 | 13.00 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-148 (Rohit Sharma, 11.5), 2-179 (Suryakumar Yadav, 14.2), 3-184 (Rickelton, 15.2), 4-215 (Tilak Varma, 18.4)
Key Highlights: MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Match 2
- Shardul Thakur was the difference: On a pitch where every other MI bowler went at 9+ economy, Thakur’s 3/39 with 7 dot balls made the total chaseable. He was named POTM and Cricinfo MVP (100.88 points).
- Rickelton-Rohit: 148 off 70 balls. The opening stand was the highest of IPL 2026 so far. MI reached 80/0 in the powerplay and 100 in just 8.1 overs, never letting KKR into the game.
- Rohit Sharma rolled back the years: His 78 off 38 (SR: 205.26) included 6 sixes. He looked in vintage touch at his home ground.
- Ryan Rickelton announced himself: The South African smoked 8 sixes in his 81 off 43. His fifty came up off just 24 balls. A statement knock in only his first IPL innings for MI. [VERIFY]
- Impact subs swung the game again: MI replaced Bumrah with Suryakumar Yadav at 11.5 overs. KKR swapped Finn Allen for Kartik Tyagi at the end of their innings (19.6 ov). Tyagi picked up 1/43 in 4 overs.
- Wankhede was a batting paradise: 444 total runs across both innings. Combined run rate of 11.34 per over. Not a single maiden bowled all match.
- KKR’s bowling lacked bite: No KKR bowler bowled at under 10 economy. Varun Chakravarthy went for 48 in 4 overs. Without a genuine wicket-taking option, 220 was never going to be enough.
Verdict: The Curse is Broken! MI Script History with Record Chase to End 13-Year Opening Jinx.
MI’s batting depth made this chase look routine despite the mammoth target. Rickelton and Rohit’s opening onslaught left KKR with no margin for error, and their bowling simply could not create enough pressure. For KKR, Rahane and Raghuvanshi batted well, but 220 was at least 15 runs short on this Wankhede surface.
