IPL 2026: Rickel-TON! MI opener smashes 123 as hosts post 243 against SRH

Ryan Rickelton (Pic: AFP)

The Mumbai Indians piled up a mammoth 243 for 2 in 20 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Ryan Rickelton starring for the hosts with a blistering 123 off just 55 balls.

MI's new opening pair of Will Jacks and Rickelton got the innings off to a flying start, racing to a 50-run stand in just 25 balls. Jacks departed for a quickfire 46 off 22 deliveries, but Rickelton continued to dominate the SRH bowlers.

Rickelton brought up his maiden IPL century, finishing unbeaten on 123 off 55 balls. The left-hander struck 10 fours and eight sixes in a commanding knock that powered MI to a formidable total. He became the third MI player to score a century this season, after Quinton de Kock and Tilak Varma.

Naman Dhir chipped in with 22 runs, while skipper Hardik Pandya added late impetus with a quick 31 off 15 balls to finish the innings strongly.

For SRH, Eshan Malinga was the most economical bowler, returning figures of 1 for 29 in his four overs on an otherwise difficult night for the bowling side.

Earlier, after winning the toss, Pandya opted to bat first. The MI captain also confirmed that Rohit Sharma remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

"We will bat first. It looks like a good pitch; it's breezy and a bit cold. I don't think dew will be a factor. It was important for us to reset and not get too complicated. We had a couple of good team evenings and some net sessions, and we are now ready for the game. There are a couple of changes: Rickelton comes in, and Minz is in. Rohit will need a couple more games; he's trying, but it's not up to the mark," Pandya said.

Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton(w), Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Robin Minz, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga