06 May,2026 09:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
MI openers Ryan Rickelton (left) and Rohit Sharma during their 143-run stand against LSG at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. Pic/Ashish Raje
Mumbai Indians (MI) are still in the IPL-19 Playoff race mathematically, and the main reason for that is the "chemistry" between their openers Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma. Rickelton (32-ball 83), who shared a 143-run opening stand with Rohit (44-ball 84) during MI's six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday night, credited the Mumbai stalwart for boosting his confidence in the middle.
"Rohit is just really good, that's the chemistry right there. Obviously, nice to get up there again with him, he's obviously been on the sidelines for a bit and to see him come back and play the way he did, so free-flowing, is something quite unique. We complement each other really nicely as left-hand, right-hand [batters]," Rickelton said during the post-match press conference on Monday night.
Rohit (221 runs in five games) smashed six boundaries and seven sixes in his comeback game after missing five matches this season due to a hamstring injury, while Rickelton became MI's leading run-getter, with 380 runs from eight matches. The South African wicketkeeper-batter revealed how they built their record run chase of 229 runs against LSG.
"Sometimes, he [Rohit] gets away really quickly and takes a lot of pressure off me, and sometimes I get away quickly and take a lot of pressure off him. That was probably tonight, I got away. But coming back from five or six games, he gave himself a few balls to just get back to batting again in his routines, and then, obviously, transferring that pressure onto the bowlers. It's a dream to watch. He gets some shots that I could only have in my wildest dreams. When he's in full flow, it's a treat that he takes the pressure off you, so I enjoy it," remarked Rickelton, 29, who has represented SA in 15 Tests, 17 ODIs and 29 T20Is, scoring 897, 454 and 741 runs respectively
Interestingly, Rickelton has picked up some red-ball tips from Rohit too. "I probably picked his [Rohit's] brain a bit more in the first year [2025], just about batting in general, not necessarily T20 batting - Tests and 50-over batting and the specifics of the mentality around it. He's just a little different; one of the greatest to play the game," said Rickelton.
MI have six points from three wins in 10 games so far and are in ninth position.
229
This is the highest successful run chase ever by MI
17
No. of sixes hit by MI against LSG on Monday - their joint second-most in an IPL innings
Six
No. of consecutive defeats for LSG - their longest ever losing streak
