Openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton hit attacking knocks as Mumbai Indians beat Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets to keep their slim playoff hopes alive in the IPL 2026 on Monday.
Rohit, who hit 84, and the left-handed Rickelton (83) put on 143 runs to lay the foundations for Mumbai’s chase of 229 with eight balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.
Five-time champions Mumbai, who were without unwell captain Hardik Pandya, stay in the 10-team table with three wins in 10 matches.
Lucknow, led by Rishabh Pant, languish at the bottom and are nearly out of the race for the playoffs.
The top two teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the playoffs.
The 39-year-old Rohit returned from an injury after missing five matches to hit his second fifty of the season as he struck six fours and seven sixes in his 44-ball knock.
South Africa’s Rickelton kept up his blazing form in his 32-ball blitz to pummel the opposition attack before his departure in the 11th over.
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Rohit, who came in as an impact substitute after Lucknow’s batting innings of 228-5, kept up the momentum with his trademark pull shot and wristy flicks to entertain the home crowd.
He finally fell to Manimaran Siddharth’s left-arm spin and Tilak Varma soon fell for 11 to raise Lucknow’s hopes.
Stand-in-skipper Suryakumar Yadav departed for 12 before Naman Dhir, who made 23, and Will Jacks, who hit the winning six in his 10, steered the team home.
Earlier Lucknow’s West Indies star Nicholas Pooran struck form with a 21-ball 63 to put Lucknow on course to a big total.
Australian opener Mitchell Marsh provided the early impetus with his 44 off 25 balls and put on 94 runs for the second wicket with the left-handed Pooran.
Pace bowler Corbin Bosch dismissed Pooran and Marsh in the ninth over to hit back for Mumbai, but Lucknow kept pace with unbeaten knocks from Aiden Markram and Himmat Singh.
Markram, who hit 31, and Himmat, who top-scored with 40, put on 68 runs for the sixth wicket to boost Lucknow’s score, which ultimately proved insufficient.
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