The Indian Premier League’s 12th game in 2025 got everybody pumped. It was Mumbai Indians versus Kolkata Knight Riders at Mumbai’s famous Wankhede Stadium. On March 31, 2025, Mumbai Indians showed off their skills grabbing their season’s first win. They beat the champs, Kolkata Knight Riders, by a massive 8 wickets.

The Mumbai Indians chose to bowl first. They secured 41 runs but also lost 4 wickets by the conclusion of the Powerplay. De Kock and Narine were the openers for the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Trent Boult kicked things off as the bowler for the Mumbai Indians. After 16.2 overs, the team’s tally hit 116 off just 10 deliveries.

Scoresheet for Kolkata Knight Riders’ Batting:

1. Kock scored a single run off three balls.
2. Narine didn’t score any runs.
3. Rahane notched up 11 runs from seven balls.
4. Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit 26 runs using 16 balls.
5. Venkatesh Iyer got 3 runs in a 9-ball face-off.
6. Rinku Singh racked up 17 runs from his time with 14 balls.
7. Manish Pandey put up 19 runs off 14 balls.
8. Russell managed 5 runs during an 11-ball struggle.
9. Ramandeep Singh bagged 22 runs from a quick 12 balls.
10. Harshit Rana could scrape together 4 runs from 8 balls he faced.
11. Spencer Johnson scored a single run off three deliveries.

Mumbai Indians Hit List:

1. Rohit smashed 13 off 12 balls.
2. Rickelton racked up 62 off 41 balls.
3. Will Jacks scored 16 off 17 balls.
4. Suryakumar Yadav blasted 27 off 9 balls.

Mumbai Indians showcased some killer bowling skills, with newbie Ashwani Kumar grabbing headlines by snagging 4 wickets for 24 runs. He booted out Kolkata Knight Riders for a measly 116 runs during their face-off in the IPL at Wankhede Stadium. Brandishing serious talent, this left-arm speedster carved out a spot in the history books as the first Indian to bag a four-for on his IPL debut toppling KKR’s batting in just 16.2 overs.

Deepak Chahar gave solid backup snagging two wickets and giving away just 19 runs. KKR had a tough time out there, yet Angkrish Raghuvanshi pushed back with a snappy 26 from 16 balls. Still, Mumbai’s tight bowling squad didn’t let them get a good score on the board.

Mumbai Indians had it way simple, with Rohit Sharma hitting a 13-run score before getting out after launching a six. Will Jacks lost his wicket too. Ryan Rickelton was the main attraction blasting a 62* on 41 balls, which had five sixes and four fours, and Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with a quick 27 from 9 balls. Their efforts allowed Mumbai to wrap up the chase in mere 12.5 overs dropping two wickets. They bagged the victory super , with eight wickets in hand and 7.1 overs still left.

Toss and Team Changes

Hardik Pandya, the captain of Mumbai Indians, flipped the coin and chose to field first. He based this choice on the pitch that favors hitters and the evening’s moisture at Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai Indians made a tactical switch bringing in Will Jacks instead of Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders swapped in Sunil Narine for Moeen Ali.

Troubles for the Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR’s start was rough, with openers Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock getting the boot on by Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar in just the first couple of overs. The champs from last year had a tough time trying to stick together some decent partnerships, and they kept losing players way too often. The new guy, Ashwani Kumar shone for MI nabbing four wickets and keeping KKR’s score super low at just 116 runs across 16.2 overs. That score’s the smallest one in the IPL 2025 till now.

Mumbai Indians Go After It

Targeting a small score of 117, MI’s lead hitters Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickleton began . Despite Rohit getting out to Andre Russell, Rickleton held strong with a steady 61 not out. Suryakumar Yadav’s fast blast of 27 from just 9 balls wrapped up the win for MI super quick in 12.5 overs.

Standout Efforts

1. Ashwani Kumar: This young 23-year-old speedster nailed his first game by snagging four hitters for just 24 runs. He even got the big hitters like Ajinkya Rahane and Andre Russell out.
2. Ryan Rickleton: The guy was super chill and scored a fifty making it a breeze for MI to win.
3. Suryakumar Yadav: He blasted the ball all over putting the icing on the cake for MI’s pretty boss showing.

Player of the Match: Ashwani Kumar

In his first IPL match in 2025, Ashwani Kumar impressed everyone. This Punjab left-arm fast bowler, who’s just 23, smashed onto the scene. He nabbed four wickets and gave up a mere 24 runs playing against the Kolkata Knight Riders. It’s cool ’cause he’s the first Indian to snag four on debut in the league.

Ashwani threw a spellbinding display of control and precision. Right off the bat, his very first ball got rid of KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane. Not missing a beat, he sent Rinku Singh and Manish Pandey back to the pavilion proving he’s quick to adapt and smarter than the hitters. The cherry on top was knocking over Andre Russell with a ball that bamboozled him.

The way Ashwani mixed up his bowling lengths and kept his cool in the heat of the moment shone through. Dude’s pretty fresh to playing big-time cricket, but he acted like an old pro out there. His stellar bowling ripped through the KKR lineup leaving them all out for just 116. That set the stage for an easy-peasy run-chase for the Mumbai Indians.

MI clinched their season’s first victory, which revealed their solid capacity to make a strong comeback. Meanwhile, KKR must now come together to fix their batting issues, as they sit at the points table’s last place.

In IPL 2025, Ashwani Kumar made his first appearance and it was like talent had hit a jackpot. During a tense game, he showed everyone his skills and grabbed himself four wickets. This win was super important for the Mumbai Indians, and Ashwani kinda set a new standard for first-timers in the IPL. With this killer beginning, he’s definitely someone you gotta keep an eye on for the rest of the battles in the tournament and maybe even in the future.

Keep an eye out for more updates and thorough breakdowns of IPL 2025 games. Remember to drop your reactions to this exciting game in the comment section!