Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma was seen in his true colours, batting in his typical style and dispatching bowlers all over the park with complete authority in IPL 2026 as Mumbai Indians took on Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening match.The decision to bowl first didn’t work for the five-time champions as KKR piled up a daunting 220/4 in 20 overs. But when Rohit walked out to open alongside Ryan Rickelton, the intent was clear – take control of the chase.
The duo delivered in style. Rickelton and Rohit slammed quickfire fifties to power Mumbai Indians to a comfortable six-wicket win — their first opening-game victory in 13 seasons.Chasing 221, Rickelton (81 off 43 balls) and Rohit (78 off 38) stitched together a blistering 148-run opening stand off just 71 balls, laying the perfect foundation. Mumbai Indians eventually chased down the target in 19.1 overs, finishing at 224/4. It was their highest successful run chase at home.While Rickelton struck four boundaries and eight sixes, Rohit’s knock was studded with six fours and six maximums, underlining his dominance at the top.In the process, Rohit also surpassed Virat Kohli to register the most runs scored against a single team in IPL history.Rohit now has 1161 runs in 36 matches against KKR, achieved while representing both Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians.Kohli, who has spent his entire IPL career with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, had previously held the record with 1160 runs against Chennai Super Kings in 36 matches.
| Player | Team(s) | Matches | Runs | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians | 36 | 1161 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 36 | 1160 | Chennai Super Kings |
| Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 36 | 1159 | Punjab Kings |
| Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 32 | 1154 | Delhi Capitals |
| David Warner | Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad | 26 | 1134 | Punjab Kings |
| Shikhar Dhawan | Deccan Chargers, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad | 30 | 1105 | Chennai Super Kings |
| David Warner | Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad | 28 | 1093 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Rohit Sharma | Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians | 37 | 1057 | Delhi Capitals |
| Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 36 | 1021 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
Mumbai Indians will now face Delhi Capitals on April 4 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
