“SKY Is a Joke!” – Ryan Rickelton in Awe of Suryakumar Yadav’s Scoop as MI Crush KKR

Suryakumar’s jaw-dropping shot leaves debutant Rickelton stunned, as MI open their IPL 2025 account with an 8-wicket win over KKR

Mumbai, April 1: Ryan Rickelton, standing at the non-striker’s end, could only shake his head in disbelief as Suryakumar Yadav played one of his signature jaw-dropping scoops during Mumbai Indians’ 8-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in IPL 2025.

MI were chasing a modest target of 117, and Rickelton had already anchored the innings with a composed 62 off 41 balls*. But it was Suryakumar’s sheer brilliance — a scoop over fine-leg on just his second ball — that lit up the Wankhede and left the South African speechless.

“I just said to Quinny that SKY is a joke — stuff I can’t do, stuff I can’t even dream of,” Rickelton laughed after the match. “He’s done it many times. I’m not going to try it — I’m just glad he’s in our team!”

Rickelton, who is playing his first IPL season, had a quiet start with scores of 13 and 6 in MI’s opening games. But at Wankhede, he looked at home, finishing with the most fours and sixes of the match, guiding MI to their first win of the season.

“I took my time, just had to get the bat on it. The ball was moving, but I’m lucky to have got some runs. I had chats with the guys back home about Wankhede — they said it can do a bit. It was my first time here, and it was electric. The crowd turned the stadium blue. I’m definitely going to enjoy my time here.”

The star with the ball, however, was 23-year-old Ashwani Kumar, who made a sensational IPL debut with a fiery 4-wicket haul (4/24) — scalping key batters like Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and Andre Russell.

Rickelton acknowledged the bowling unit’s role in setting up the win:

“The bowlers executed brilliantly. The conditions allowed us to tweak tactics. Spinners bowled smart lengths, and pacers like Ashwani brought the fire. We did a phenomenal job restricting such a strong side to just 116.”

MI’s emphatic victory not only snapped their losing streak but also sent a message that the five-time champions are far from done. With Rickelton settling in, Suryakumar back in form, and fresh firepower like Ashwani Kumar making waves — the Mumbai Indians are roaring back to life.