3 min learnMar 30, 2026 12:39 AM IST
Shardul Thakur broke his ex-franchise Kolkata Knight Riders’ hearts when he took wickets at essential junctures for Mumbai Indians of their Indian Premier League opener on Sunday. With the Knights cruising at 69 within the sixth over with skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen in ominous kind, Shardul offered the breakthrough, taking out the Kiwi opener for 37.
He would strike as soon as once more within the ninth over sending again KKR’s 25.20 crore allrounder Cameron Inexperienced for 18 earlier than coming again and snapping up Rahane for 67 within the 14th over. KKR couldn’t fairly get better from these physique blows and although Angkrish Raghuvanshi managed a half century, they might publish 220, a rating that regarded a bit under-par in Wankhede’s batting pleasant floor.
“I advised him this season, I mentioned, ‘sufficient hopping of the franchises. I would like you to be right here for the remainder of your profession.’ He’s a personality. He has an enormous coronary heart. The best way he comes out and sort of at all times tries to outsmart a batter, merely good and actually blissful for him,” MI skipper Hardik Pandya gushed in reward for Thakur after the match.
“I used to be a internet bowler and an upcoming boy who has been with the staff in 2010, 2011, 2012 seasons. Quietly bowling right here, making my mark and since then it was at all times going to occur, but it surely lastly occurred that I’m in Mumbai Indians taking part in for my house staff, so it feels particular. I will likely be very blissful if I keep right here. It’s house metropolis and the sort of backing that I had coming right here, it was wonderful. So, thanks to your complete Mumbai Indians household additionally for backing me, buying and selling me from LSG and straightaway awarding me within the first recreation,” Shardul mentioned.
Within the match, Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma slammed quickfire fifties handy Mumbai Indians a snug six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders. Chasing 221, Rickelton (81 off 43 balls) and Rohit (78 off 38 balls) shared a breezy 148-run opening stand off simply 71 balls to set the platform for the win which MI achieved in 19.1 overs, reaching 224 for 4. It was additionally a file chase by MI at house floor. Whereas Rickelton hit 4 boundaries and eight sixes, Rohit knock was laced with six fours and as many maximums.