Mumbai Indians’ first home game of IPL 2025 got off to a dream start, with Hardik Pandya’s men striking early to put Kolkata Knight Riders on the back foot. The Wankhede crowd erupted as Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock were dismissed within the first seven balls, setting the tone for MI’s dominant display.
The real moment of magic, however, came when debutant Ashwani Kumar made an instant impact, removing Ajinkya Rahane with his very first ball in the IPL. Ajinkya Rahane’s dismissal was a dramatic one. Ashwani bowled a full delivery outside off, and Rahane slashed at it, sending the ball towards deep backward point.
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Tilak Varma positioned himself well but initially fumbled the catch as the ball slipped from his hands. Just when it looked like Rahane would get a lifeline, Tilak displayed incredible reflexes, grabbing the ball with one hand on the second attempt. It was a stunning effort and a dream start for the young MI debutant.
A dream debut for #AshwaniKumar! 💙
He gets the big wicket of #AjinkyaRahane on the very first delivery of his #TATAIPL career! 🔥
Watch LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/SVxDX5nnhH#IPLonJioStar 👉 #MIvKKR | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 3 &… pic.twitter.com/Qk0cSw6IlE
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 31, 2025
Ashwani Kumar didn’t stop there. He went on to claim the prized wickets of Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, and the dangerous Andre Russell, as KKR’s innings crumbled under relentless pressure. Deepak Chahar provided excellent support, bagging two wickets, while Hardik Pandya chipped in by dismissing the well-set Angkrish Raghuvanshi. With wickets tumbling at regular intervals, MI found themselves in a commanding position, looking to wrap up the KKR innings quickly and register their first points of the season.
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Earlier, at the toss, Hardik Pandya opted to bowl first, banking on early swing and the possibility of dew affecting the second innings. He emphasized the need for his team to play with greater tactical awareness and make smarter choices throughout the tournament. MI made two significant changes, bringing in Will Jacks and handing Ashwani Kumar his IPL debut.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first as well but backed his bowlers to defend a total. Kolkata made one change, bringing in Sunil Narine for Moeen Ali—a move that backfired instantly as Narine fell for a duck, setting the tone for KKR’s struggles.
