A sensational four-wicket debut by Ashwani Kumar and a match-winning 62 not out from Ryan Rickelton propelled Mumbai Indians to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede on Monday.
The 23-year-old Ashwani from Jhanjeri, Punjab, stole the spotlight as he became the first Indian to claim four wickets on IPL debut.
Ashwani ended with figures of 4 for 24 from his three overs, single-handedly dismantling KKR’s formidable batting line-up.
His sensational performance helped MI restrict KKR to a meagre 116 runs in 16.2 overs.
Ashwani’s dream debut followed a disciplined bowling effort from the MI seamers.
Deepak Chahar (2/19), Trent Boult (1/23), and Hardik Pandya (1/10) all contributed, with KKR’s top order crumbling under pressure. It was MI’s collective bowling effort that put the game beyond KKR’s reach.
After Rohit Sharma’s early departure (13), Rickelton anchored the chase with a blistering 62 not out from 41 balls, hitting four fours and five sixes. His knock guided Mumbai to victory with 7.1 overs to spare.
Suryakumar Yadav also chipped in with a rapid 27 not out from just nine balls, finishing the match with a six.
The Knight Riders’ innings got off to a disastrous start, with openers Quinton de Kock (1) and Sunil Narine (0) both back in the pavilion inside the first two overs.
KKR's struggles continued as Ashwani claimed the scalps of Ajinkya Rahane (11), Rinku Singh (17), impact substitute Manish Pandey (17), and Andre Russell (5), leaving KKR reeling at 45 for five.
Ashwani’s first IPL wicket came in the fourth over, when Rahane, trying to counterattack, edged the ball to deep backward point, where Tilak Varma completed a fine catch.
Raghuvanshi (26) showed promise, hitting a few boundaries and a six, but was dismissed when Hardik Pandya induced a short ball, caught by Naman Dhir.
Pandey, who came in as an impact substitute, could not turn the tide, getting dismissed by Ashwani in the 11th over.
Ashwani then dismissed Rinku and Rana to complete his stunning debut performance, leaving KKR with little hope of recovery.
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