Mumbai: Aiming for their fifth win in a row, Mumbai Indians rode on half-centuries by Ryan Rickelton (58) and Suryakumar Yadav (54) to reach a challenging 215/7 in 20 overs against Lucknow Super Giants in Match 45 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Rickelton gave the innings the early push with a half-century off 25 balls after MI were asked to bat first by LSG skipper Rishabh Pant. Suryakumar Yadav then gave it further momentum with a typically innovative 54 off 28 balls as he became the highest-scorer in the season with 417 runs off 10 innings.
In scorching hot conditions made worse by high humidity, Rickelton caught fire from the second over as he stormed to his fifty in just 25 balls, scoring the season’s fastest half-century for the Mumbai Indians, who are on a four-match unbeaten run in IPL 2025.
He faced the first two overs, and after a four in the first over, bowled by Mayank Yadav, who was playing his first match of the season after returning from injury. But after surviving a near run-out off the second ball of the second over, the South African wicketkeeper-batter exploded into action against Prince Yadav, hammering him for a six and two fours, the first of which, a straight drive, nearly nailed Rohit Sharma.
Rohit pulled Mayank for back-to-back sixes in the third over as the bowler went short. But the young tearaway had the last laugh as he got the former Mumbai Indians captain in the same over, outwitting him with a slow one bowled wide that Rohit cut straight to Prince Yadav at short third.
Rickelton struck spinner Digvesh Rathi for two sixes interspersed by a four as he reached his second half-century of IPL 2025 off 25 balls. He fell to Rathi soon after, trying to make room for a googly bowled wide but managing to top-edge it to Ayush Badoni. His 58 came off 32 balls and included six fours and four sixes. He and Will Jacks added 55 runs for the second wicket.
Will Jacks fell for 29 (21 balls, 3×4, 1×6), bowled by Prince Yadav with a beautiful yorker, while Tilak Varma (6) fell cheaply as LSG pulled things back a bit, Mumbai Indians reached 137/4 after 13 overs.
However, Suryakumar Yadav continued to hold fort at the other end, hitting Ravi Bishnoi for a six, followed by back-to-back boundaries and also sent Avesh to the boundary as he completed his 4000 runs in IPL.
He had struck his first boundary of the afternoon against the express pace of Mayank Yadav and his first six of the day against Bishnoi over deep midwicket in the 11th over.
His brilliant six off Prince Yadav in the 15th over was his best shot of the day as he got down to a knee off a length ball outside off and hooked it over deep fine leg. He fell
Surya reached his 50 off 27 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes. He was out off the next ball, mistiming to extra cover a fullish ball bowled wide by Avesh Khan.
Skipper Hardik Pandya fell for five, cleaned up by the pace of Mayank Yadav, but Naman Dhir (25 not out off 11) and debutant Corbin Bosch (20 off 10) gave the innings the finishing touch as Mumbai Indians reached a big score.
For LSG, Mayank Yadav and Avesh Khan claimed a double with 2-40 and 2-42 respectively, while Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi bagged a wicket apiece.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 215/7 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 58, Suryakumar Yadav 54; Naman Dhir 25 not out; Mayank Yadav 2-40, Avesh Khan 2-42) against Lucknow Super Giants.
(IANS)
