Kamal Ghorui
Rohit Sharma added another remarkable chapter to his illustrious career on Sunday, becoming the first capped player to feature in all 19 editions of the Indian Premier League. The milestone came during Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 opener against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium. While Rohit is only the second player overall to appear in all 19 seasons after Virat Kohli, he stands alone in having done so as a capped international throughout. Rohit’s journey began in the inaugural 2008 season with Deccan Chargers, shortly after making his India debut in 2007. In contrast, Kohli had featured in the first IPL season as an uncapped player before making his international debut later that year. Marking the milestone in style, Rohit delivered a stunning performance with the bat. Chasing a daunting 221, he smashed a fluent 78 off 39 balls, leading Mumbai’s charge in a high-scoring contest. In the process, he also brought up his 50th IPL half-century, joining an elite list that includes Kohli, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan.Most 50-plus scores in IPL72 – Virat Kohli66 – David Warner53 – Shikhar Dhawan50 – Rohit Sharma* The veteran opener also achieved another major feat, becoming the player with the most runs against a single opponent in IPL history, with 1161 runs against KKR. Rohit found strong support in Ryan Rickelton, as the duo stitched together a match-defining 148-run opening partnership — the highest ever for Mumbai Indians against KKR. Rickelton contributed a brilliant 81 off 43 balls as MI chased down 221 with ease, finishing at 224 for 4 to seal a six-wicket win. Earlier, KKR had posted 220 for 4 on the back of half-centuries from Ajinkya Rahane (67) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51), but their efforts were overshadowed by Mumbai’s dominant chase. On a night filled with records and milestones, Rohit not only etched his name deeper into IPL history but also proved once again why he remains one of the league’s most enduring and impactful players.
