Mumbai Indians (MI) delivered a commanding performance to defeat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 8 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in a thrilling IPL 2025 encounter on Monday (Mar 31, 2025). The match, held under the Mumbai night sky, showcased MI’s resurgence after a shaky start to the season, while KKR suffered a humbling loss that exposed their batting frailties if they fail collectively!
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| Image Credits: ESPN Cricinfo |
MI captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bowl, a decision that paid dividends as his bowlers dismantled KKR’s lineup. Debutant Ashwani Kumar stole the show, claiming 4 wickets, including the scalp of KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane with his first ball. KKR crumbled to 41/4 in the powerplay and could only muster 116 before being bowled out in 16.2 overs. Trent Boult (1/23) and Deepak Chahar (2/19) complemented Kumar’s heroics, exploiting the early swing on offer.
Chasing a modest 117, MI made light work of the target. Ryan Rickelton anchored the innings with an unbeaten 61, while Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive 27* off 9 balls, capped with a trademark six, sealed the deal in just 12.5 overs. The victory, achieved with 43 balls to spare, propelled MI to sixth in the points table, boosting their net run rate significantly into the positive side.
KKR’s batting collapse drew criticism, with Rahane admitting to a “collective failure” and poor shot selection. The defending champions now languish at the bottom of the standings. For MI, this emphatic win signaled their intent, blending young talent with seasoned stars, setting the stage for an exciting campaign ahead.
Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians - 121/2 in 12.5 overs (Ryan Rickelton - 62*, Andre Russell - 2/35) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders - 116 all out in 16.2 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi - 26, Ashwani Kumar - 4/24) by a margin of 8 wickets
