Mumbai Indians chased down their highest ever target in the TATA IPL to begin the season with a win against Kolkata Knight Riders. Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh spoke about Ryan Rickelton’s knock, Shardul Thakur’s wicket-taking approach, and the tactical decisions during the Powerplay that cost KKR the match.
Irfan Pathan analysed Ryan Rickelton’s knock:
“Ryan Rickelton was outstanding. We spoke before the game about his form being better than Quinton de Kock’s, and he showed exactly why. He has a wider range, especially on the off-side. That six over cover was a special shot. His shoulder alignment allows him to access those areas consistently and play in front of the wicket with control. Against spin, he was very clear, attacking from the first ball and looking for the slog sweep. That intent worked for him, and on a pitch like Mumbai, his style of batting is ideally suited.”
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On Shardul Thakur’s variations and fearless approach:
“He’s not a bowler who gets intimidated, even when batters are attacking. He keeps coming at you. What stands out is how he uses his variations. Every time he starts his run-up, he’s already changing his grip, whether it’s for a slower ball, cross-seam, or even a scrambled seam delivery. He’s always trying to make something happen. He invites batters to go for big shots and thrives on that. He doesn’t have express pace or big swing, but he’s constantly experimenting, different lengths, speeds, and that’s why he keeps picking up wickets.”
Harbhajan Singh explained KKR’s tactical lapse during the Powerplay:
“The best match-up was to bowl Sunil Narine in the Powerplay, at least one or two overs to target Rohit Sharma early. That was their best chance to pick wickets and put Mumbai under pressure. Instead, Narine didn’t even complete his full quota, which shows the captaincy wasn’t up to the mark. Credit to Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. They batted with ease and never let the bowlers settle, but KKR could have handled that phase much better.”
