However, their opening batsman, South Africans’ keeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton (81, 43b, 4×4, 8×6) and former captain Rohit Sharma (78, 38b, 6×4, 6×6), who turned back the clock with some furious hitting, blew away KKR from their 148-run opening stand, which took just 72 balls. The matter was never in doubt, even if the hosts lost a few wickets late on.MI’s emphatic six-wicket win in a high-scoring game, which came with five balls to spare, gave their raucous supporters something to cheer about.Targets of over 200 are now being chased easily, almost comically, in the first two days of IPL 2026, which shows how difficult life is becoming for bowlers in the IPL. At present, the competition between bat and ball in the league is largely one-sided.In an interesting development, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav Featured as an impact player and scored 16 (3×4) off eight balls.Winding back the clock, Rohit hit some big sixes with his trademark pull shot hitting a six off Kartik Tyagi in the sixth over, while skipper Hardik Pandya (18 not out off 11 balls, 3×4) completed the job.To make things worse for the visitors, their captain Ajinkya Rahanewho had earlier scored a brilliant 67 (40b, 3×4, 5×6) had to leave the field due to cramps, leaving his deputy Rinku Singh to lead the team. What is really a matter of concern for KKR is also the poor form of their key spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who conceded 0-48 in four overs and is clearly struggling for rhythm.Earlier, KKR had all types of senior batsmen Rahane And young gun Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51, 29b, 4×4, 2×6) hit a blistering half-century, while New Zealand opener Finn Allen (37 in 18 balls, 6×4, 2×6) and Rinku Singh (33 not out, 21b, 4×4) made important contributions to take KKR to a strong score.The night when Mumbai’s all-rounder stole the limelight in front of his home crowd Shardul Thakur He was not to be left behind and contributed significantly to MI’s victory. Marking a stellar performance for MI, the ‘Palghar Express’ took three wickets for 39 runs in four overs and was one of the pick of the bowlers on either side in the game, with world’s top fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah not getting a wicket once (0-38 in four overs).Thakur gave MI the much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Allen (caught at wide long-on) in the sixth over at a time when the KKR openers were being aggressive. Making smart use of the slower balls and his variations, the 34-year-old secured a sum of Rs 25.20 crore to buy Cameron Green (18, 10b, 1×4, 1×6, cleverly caught by a diving Sherfane Rutherford at deep cover), who was making his KKR debut, and Rahane (caught at extra cover on the cross-seam, full delivery bowled outside off stump). Gai), to prevent KKR from running away with the game.KKR were given a brilliant start by Rahane, who scored his 34th IPL half-century, and Allen, who scored a match-winning unbeaten century against South Africa in the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-final earlier this month, as the opening pair added 69 runs from just 32 balls to set the stage for a big total.Playing his first competitive match in three months – he last played for Mumbai on December 16, when he smashed an unbeaten 72 off 41 balls against Rajasthan in Pune in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy to help Mumbai set a target of 217 – Rahane, who had opted out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and then the second half of the Ranji Trophy during the last domestic season, hardly looked out of place.Batting beautifully, the experienced batsman picked up the length early on and hit some brilliant strokes, with a four through cover off Thakur being the favourite.There are some who have questioned KKR’s decision to make Rahane the captain again this season, but the 37-year-old, who was the leading run-scorer for KKR last season (390 runs at 35.45 in 13 matches, with three fifties), looks determined to prove his worth.Launching an all-out attack, Allen bowled long shots to MI’s debutant Afghanistan spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (0-57 in four overs), hitting two sixes and a four in the third over, scoring 17 runs. Rahane then hit back-to-back sixes off Hardik Pandya off the first two balls of the fourth over, before Allen hit three consecutive fours off the MI skipper, who conceded 26 runs in that over.