Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) After a refreshing break, Will Jacks returned with a bang, spearheading a massive total of 243 for the Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026 in what he described as a “batting paradise.”

Highlighting a fearless approach, Jacks emphasised the team’s commitment to playing with freedom, a strategy that paid off during his explosive partnership with Ryan Rickelton.

“Buzzing to be here after having some time off. Brilliant pitch, and what we spoke about was playing with freedom. Loved batting with Ryan – amazing innings. Ryan got a late call-up after Quinny was not feeling well. The last few times I have been here, it has been a batting paradise. We know we have our work cut out (even though we

have 243). They bowled a lot of slower ball bouncers, and that was probably the hardest ball to hit. It is a big score, but we have seen so many high scores chased down. We are in a good position, but we have to bowl well. (On if he will take the new ball) We will see,” said Jacks after the first innings.

Mumbai started their innings cautiously against Pat Cummins. He generated early movement and bounce, making things difficult for both Rickelton and Will Jacks. However, Jacks broke the tension by lifting Cummins over mid-on for a boundary, setting the right tone. The real momentum shift happened against Praful Hinge, who was quickly exposed. Rickelton flicked him over deep midwicket for six. Jacks then followed with a sharp square drive and a thin edge for four, pushing MI to 21/0 after two overs.

From there on, the pair never looked back. Rickelton and Jacks attacked non-stop, matching each other shot for shot. Rickelton hit back-to-back boundaries off Cummins, while Jacks sliced through extra cover, helping MI race ahead. By the end of the Power-play, MI had scored 78/0—their second-highest score in this phase this season—at an impressive run rate of 13, a big jump from their pre-match powerplay rate of 8.55. Jacks finished the Powerplay with 46 off 22 balls (five fours, two sixes).

Rickelton, who stepped in as a late replacement for an unwell Quinton de Kock, earned high praise from Jacks for his brilliant knock. Despite the daunting score, Jacks remained cautious, noting that the pitch conditions and the prevalence of high-scoring chases mean the bowlers will have their work cut out to defend the target.

Rickelton finished with 123, forcing MI to 243/5.

–IANS

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