Published: March 30, 2026 at 6:03 pm
Shardul Thakur had a big role to play before Mumbai Indians chased down their highest ever target in the TATA IPL to begin the season with a win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday night.
Before Shardul came to bowl, Kolkata Knight Riders’ openers Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen were going hammer and tongs against the Mumbai Indians attack. Shardul came on to bowl and the scenario changed drastically as he lorded over the Knights. He took a wicket in each of his first three overs to finish with a three-wicket haul. Knight Riders, who were threatening to reach a 240 plus score, eventually ended up with a healthy 220.
Rohit and Rickelton lord it over Knight Riders as Mumbai Indians post six-wicket victory
But when Mumbai Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton took over the proceedings, 220 looked a small total to defend.
Shardul has a fearless approach: Pathan
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan lauded Shardul for his fearless approach and use of variations to deceive the batters. “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,” said Pathan on JioHotstar.
“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,” Pathan added.
Ryan Rickelton’s shoulder alignment allows him to access those areas consistently and play in front of the wicket with control, says Irfan Pathan. Pics: BCCI/IPL
Rickelton was outstanding, says Pathan
Pathan said Rickelton was outstanding and looked better than Quinton de Kock on this day. “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,” Pathan said.
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Former off spinner Harbhajan Singh said Kolkata Knight Riders made a tactical error by not bring on Sunil Narine during the Powerplay and that cost them the match.
“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,” Harbhajan said.
