Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Rohit Sharma made a grand return to action after recovering from an injury, smashing a half-century and adding 143 runs with Ryan Rickelton as the Mumbai Indians defeated Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in Match 47 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

As part of a brilliant duopoly, Rohit Sharma top-scored with 84, and Rickelton added 83 runs as the Mumbai Indians scripted the highest run-chase at the Wankhede as the five-time champions secured their third win in 10 matches.

Nicholas Pooran blazed to a 16-ball half-century as he smashed 63 runs off 21 balls, and Marsh blasted 44 off 25 as LSG survived a middle-order collapse to post a challenging total of 228/5 in what is a must-win match for both sides, who are scraping the bottom of the points table with four points each from two wins.

In reply, the Mumbai Indians capitalised on brilliant batting by Rohit Sharma and Rickelton and reached 229/4 in 18.4 overs to win with eight balls to spare. LSG slumped to their sixth defeat on the trot and remain at the bottom with four points.

Mumbai Indians made a cautious start in their chase of 229 as Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton took them to fifty in 30 balls. Rohit, who came into the side to loud cheers after recovering from a hamstring injury, hammered 21 runs in the sixth over, smashing Avesh Khan’s attempted Yorkers for two fours and two sixes in successive balls. He had a close shave when the ball fell just short of the fielder on the last delivery of Power-play as Mumbai reached 71 for no loss.

The Hitman smashed Prince Yadav for a couple of sixes in the sixth over and, with Rickelton, who struck two sixes and a four, hammered 23 runs off Impact Substitute Manimaran Siddharth. Rohit raced to his fifty off 27 balls, studded with three fours and five sixes after Rickelton raised his half-century a couple of deliveries before off 22 balls (4×4, 4×6) as they took Mumbai past the 100-run mark.

Rohit and Rickelton raised 143 runs for the opening partnership as the South African smashed a four and six off Mohsin Khan off successive balls and followed that up with a six in the 11th over before he fell for 83. Mohsin Khan had the last laugh by getting caught by Josh Inglis at cover.

Rohit, who had scored a majestic century at the same venue a few weeks back, added 34 runs for the second wicket with Tilak Varma before he departed, missing out on a well-deserved century. He blasted 84 off 44 balls (6×4, 7×6) before he fell, trying to force the pace against Manimaran Siddharth, but only managing to offer an easy catch to Mohammed Shami in the deep. It was a superb innings by the six-time IPL winner as he played some exquisite shots, pulling, flicking, lofting, and driving for boundaries as the crowd roared in appreciation.

Mumbai remained on course for their third victory of the season as they reached 187/2 at the end of the 15th over. But Varma departed for 11 off 13 balls, splicing it straight to Aiden Markam off

Siddharth. Naman Dhir was dropped at cover by Inglis off Siddharth in the 16th over.

Dhir struck back-to-back fours off Prince Yadav in the 17th over as Mumbai went past 200 and then smashed Mohammed Shami for a superb six. Suryakumar Yadav dispatched a short and wide one from Shami to the boundary with a late cut but fell on the next ball, whipping one straight to Nicholas Pooran for 12 off 7 balls.

Dhir remained unbeaten on 23 off 12 balls, and Will Jacks scored 10 off four, including the six to seal a morale-boosting victory.

Brief scores:

Lucknow Super Giants 228/5 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 63, Mitchell Marsh 44, Himmat Singh 40 not out, Aiden Markram 31 not out; Corbin Bosch 2-20, Raghu Sharma 1-36) lost to Mumbai Indians 229/4 in 18.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 84, Ryan Rickelton 83, Naman Dhir 23 not out; Manimaran Siddharth 2-47) by six wickets.

–IANS

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