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Mumbai Indians (MI) finally returned to winning ways in the IPL 2025 after bulldozing defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets at the Wankhede stadium on March 31, Monday.
Mumbai Indians record first win of IPL 2025 with 8-wicket victory over KKR
Mumbai Indians rode on Ashwani Kumar's dream debut, in which he took a sizzling four-fer, bundled out KKR for mere 116 runs. In reply, Mumbai sauntered to the lowly target with 43 balls to spare, thanks to Ryan Rickelton's unbeaten 41-ball 62 and Suryakumar Yadav's blistering 9-ball 27. This was MI's first win after recording back-to-back defeats against Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.
Mumbai will now take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 4 while KKR's next match is against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 3.
KKR batters succumb to Ashwani Kumar's four-fer
Earlier, the 23-year-old left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar delivered a breathtaking performance on his IPL debut, siezing four wickets for 24 runs. His sensational spell spearheaded MI' seam attack, which dismantled KKR for a paltry 116 runs in just 16.2 overs – the lowest team total recorded in the current season so far.
The Mohali-born Ashwani was instrumental in dismantling the Knight Riders' batting lineup, accounting for the key wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, impact substitute Manish Pandey, and the dangerous Andre Russell. His crucial breakthroughs came after the Mumbai Indians' new-ball bowlers, Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult, had already made significant early inroads during the powerplay overs.
The sensational bowling display etched Ashwani Kumar's name in IPL history, as he became the first Indian bowler to grab four wickets in his very first appearance in the prestigious league.
Kolkata Knight Riders endured a disastrous start to their innings, losing both their openers, Quinton de Kock (1) and Sunil Narine (0), within the first two overs. By the end of the initial six-over powerplay, the visitors had struggled to reach a meager 41 runs while already losing four wickets, setting the stage for Ashwani's later dominance.
The fresh pitch at Wankhede Stadium provided both bounce and swing with the new ball, conditions that the Mumbai Indians bowlers exploited effectively, capitalising on KKR' batsmen's lack of application. Trent Boult showcased his skill by deceiving Sunil Narine with a fuller delivery that swung away, clean bowling the West Indian in the very first over of the innings.
In the subsequent over, Deepak Chahar induced an error from Quinton de Kock, who mistimed a shot that was caught safely at mid-off by a leaping Ashwani Kumar, who timed his jump perfectly to secure a sharp catch.
Ajinkya Rahane (11) attempted a counter-attack, hitting a six and a four, but his resistance was short-lived. He became Ashwani Kumar's maiden IPL wicket, falling on the very first ball the young seamer bowled in the league.
The Punjab seamer, bowling to Ajinkya Rahane, enticed the KKR skipper to play a shot outside the off-stump. Rahane obliged, but his attempted drive went airborne, flying towards deep backward point where a fielder was positioned to take the catch. Angkrish Raghuvanshi showed the most promise for Kolkata Knight Riders during his brief innings. He started confidently, hitting a couple of well-timed boundaries on either side of the wicket and even launching Ashwani Kumar for a six into the stands – one of the few maximums KKR managed in their innings.
However, Raghuvanshi's (26) promising start was cut short when he played a short delivery from Hardik Pandya with insufficient power. Naman Dhir executed a commendable piece of fielding, running in from deep square leg to secure the catch. Manish Pandey was brought into the game as an impact substitute with KKR struggling at 45 for five. Unfortunately for his team, Pandey failed to capitalize on this opportunity and was bowled by the impressive Ashwani Kumar in the 11th over. Naman Dhir was once again involved in the action when Rinku Singh (17) charged down the pitch and attempted to hit a short delivery from Ashwani Kumar over the boundary. However, his shot went straight to the fielder at deep point, who completed the catch, giving Ashwani his fourth and final wicket of a memorable debut.
Rickelton, Suryakumar's quick run-chase
In reply, MI batters took no time to finish the business. The opening pair of Rohit Sharma (13) and Ryan Rickelton (62 not out) established a firm platform before Hitman was dismissed by Andre Russell in the sixth over. Will Jacks contributed a quickfire 16 runs before his departure, but Ryan Rickelton maintained his excellent form, anchoring the chase. He, along with Suryakumar Yadav (27 runs off 9 balls), ensured a smooth path to victory for MI, wrapping up the innings in a mere 12.4 overs.
Andre Russell was the solitary KKR bowler to make any notable impact, picking up both Mumbai Indians wickets and finishing with figures of 2 for 29 in his 2.4 overs. However, despite his efforts, MI's dominance in the chase was never under threat, as they clinically chased down the target without breaking a sweat.
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