MI captain lauds Ashwani Kumar’s dream debut and collective team performance in dominant eight-wicket win over KKR at Wankhede
New Delhi, April 1: Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya expressed delight after leading his team to their first win of the IPL 2025 season, as they crushed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Pandya praised the team’s collective performance and especially applauded the debut of 23-year-old left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar, who took a sensational 4-wicket haul on debut.
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“Very satisfying to win, especially at home. The way we did it, as a group, everyone chipped in — can’t be happier,” said Pandya. “It’s always a challenge picking one guy here and there, but our scouting team deserves the credit. They spotted Ashwani’s potential early. He had the zip, late swing, a different action — and he’s a leftie. That wicket of Russell was crucial, and the catch of Quinton was just brilliant from a fast bowler.”
Pandya emphasized the importance of every player contributing and believed this was a strong signal of MI’s depth and intent this season. “It’s a great sign for everyone to step up and kick off the tournament for us.”
MI’s bowling attack restricted KKR to a modest 116 runs, with Ashwani Kumar dismantling the middle order and claiming the prized wicket of Ajinkya Rahane with his very first ball. Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult supported well in the powerplay.
In response, MI chased down the target in just 12.5 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton remained unbeaten with a composed 62* off 41 balls, while Suryakumar Yadav played a blazing cameo of 27* from just nine balls to finish things off in style.
KKR’s only bowling highlights came through Andre Russell, who claimed two wickets, but the rest of the attack struggled to make an impact. With this win, Mumbai Indians not only opened their account in IPL 2025 but sent a strong message of intent for the season ahead.