Mumbai Indians crushed Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets in the 12th match of IPL 2025 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar delivered early blows, while Ashwani Kumar’s devastating 4/24 spell dismantled KKR’s lineup. Later, Ryan Rickelton’s explosive 61-run knock ensured a comfortable chase for MI.
KKR’s Struggles with the Bat
Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bowl. KKR’s openers, Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine, walked in, but Trent Boult struck immediately, dismissing Narine for a duck in the first over. Deepak Chahar followed up by removing de Kock for just one run, leaving KKR at 15/2 after two overs.
Raghuvanshi’s Counterattack and MI’s Tight Bowling
Angkrish Raghuvanshi fought back with aggressive strokes, including a six, but MI continued their dominance. Ashwani Kumar, on his IPL debut, removed Ajinkya Rahane (11). Boult kept things tight in the fifth over, conceding only three runs. Chahar then struck again in the sixth over, dismissing Iyer. By the end of the powerplay, KKR had crumbled to 41/4.
Middle-Order Collapse
Hardik Pandya joined the attack and removed Raghuvanshi for 26. KKR slumped to 45/5 after seven overs. Manish Pandey entered at No. 7. In the eighth over, he and Rinku Singh smashed a six each off Vignesh Puthur. Pandya’s ninth over yielded just six runs as KKR attempted to rebuild.
Santner bowled the 10th over, giving away only four runs. At 69/5, Ashwani Kumar returned and dismissed Rinku Singh (17) and Manish Pandey (19) in quick succession. His third wicket left KKR struggling at 80/7 after 11 overs.
Russell’s brief resistance ended when Ashwani Kumar claimed his fourth wicket. Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh attempted a last push, but Mumbai’s bowlers wrapped up KKR’s innings at 116 in 17 overs.
Mumbai’s Comfortable Chase
Chasing 117, MI openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton began cautiously. Spencer Johnson’s first over yielded just one run, but Rickelton opened up with boundaries in the third and fourth overs. MI reached 42/0 after four overs.
Andre Russell provided KKR’s first breakthrough, dismissing Rohit Sharma (13). Ryan Rickelton brought up his half-century in style, smashing a six in the 10th over. Rickelton followed up with two sixes, taking MI to 89/1.
Russell struck again in the 11th over, dismissing Jacks (16). However, Suryakumar Yadav counterattacked with a six on the last ball of the over. MI reached 97/2 after 11 overs.
Suryakumar Finishes in Style
Suryakumar Yadav wasted no time. With just a few runs needed, Suryakumar finished the match in style, smashing a six off Russell in the 13th over. MI secured victory, with Rickelton remained unbeaten on 62 off 41 balls, and Suryakumar scored a quickfire 27 off 9. Mumbai Indians’ dominant all-round display ensured an easy victory, maintaining their strong start in IPL 2025.
Brief Scorecard
Mumbai Indians have worked on every department of the game. However, they were lacking a bowler who could deliver in the first six overs. Trent Boult kept things tight today and also took a wicket in the first over. Deepak Chahar claimed two wickets, while Ashwani Kumar provided strong support in the first six overs. For Ashwani Kumar, it was a wonderful debut, as he took a wicket on his very first ball—a dream come true.
KKR had no answers to the challenges posed by Mumbai Indians in today's match. They need to improve their batting lineup. Undoubtedly, it was a bad day for KKR, despite having players like Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, and Andre Russell. Hopefully, they will regain momentum in their next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, April 3. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!