Mumbai Indians Thrash Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 Wickets: Ashwani Kumar’s Dream IPL Debut Steals the Show
Mumbai Indians registered their first victory of the IPL 2025 season with a dominant eight-wicket win over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Wankhede Stadium on Monday. The star of the match was debutant pacer Ashwani Kumar, who produced a sensational 4-24 performance to dismantle KKR’s batting line-up and set the stage for an easy chase.
Ashwani’s performance, which included the best figures by an Indian bowler on IPL debut, was a crucial factor in restricting KKR to just 116 runs in 16.2 overs. His brilliant spell included wickets of key players such as Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell.
Ashwani Kumar’s Dream Debut The 23-year-old left-arm seamer from Jhanjeri, Punjab, made an instant impact, claiming a wicket off his very first ball in the IPL by dismissing Rahane. He then followed up with a clinical spell, using the bounce in the Wankhede pitch to full advantage. His four-wicket haul was instrumental in breaking the backbone of KKR’s batting, and he became the first Indian bowler to take four wickets on IPL debut.
In support of Ashwani’s brilliance, Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult also played vital roles, picking up two wickets each, while Hardik Pandya, Vignesh Puthur, and Mitchell Santner each claimed one. The combined effort of Mumbai’s bowling attack led to KKR’s batting collapse, as they could only muster a meagre 116 runs before being bowled out in the 17th over.
Mumbai’s Easy Chase Chasing a modest target of 117, Mumbai Indians cruised to victory in just 12.5 overs, reaching 121/2. Ryan Rickelton, who has been in exceptional form, played a pivotal role, finishing unbeaten on 62 off 41 balls. His composed innings included four boundaries and five sixes, making the chase look effortless. Rickelton’s partnership with Rohit Sharma (13) and Will Jacks (16) laid the foundation for the victory. Suryakumar Yadav, who remained unbeaten on 27 off just nine balls, sealed the win with a six, ensuring that Mumbai finished with ease.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Struggles KKR’s innings was in disarray from the start. Sunil Narine was dismissed for a duck on the fourth ball of the match, and Quinton de Kock followed him soon after, leaving KKR reeling at 2/2. Ashwani Kumar’s early strikes set the tone, and KKR was unable to recover from the blows. The middle order crumbled under pressure, and despite a few late hits from Ramandeep Singh and Harshit Rana, KKR could only manage 116 runs.
Mumbai Indians showed clinical discipline in both departments—bowling and batting—securing their first points of IPL 2025 in dominant fashion.
Brief Scores:
- Kolkata Knight Riders: 116 all out in 16.2 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 26, Ramandeep Singh 22; Ashwani Kumar 4-24, Deepak Chahar 2-19)
- Mumbai Indians: 121/2 in 12.5 overs (Ryan Rickelton 62* off 41, Suryakumar Yadav 27* off 9; Andre Russell 2-35)
With this comprehensive victory, Mumbai Indians not only bagged their first points but also displayed a solid all-round performance, setting a strong foundation for the rest of the season.
