Ryan Rickelton sizzles for Mumbai Indians in IPL opener

South Africa’s Ryan Rickelton made an explosive start to the IPL in Wankhede on Sunday, with an explosive 81 from 43 ball to lead the Mumbai Indians (MI) to a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Opening the innings with MI set an imposing 221 to win, Rickelton set the tone with eight maximums and four fours.

With Rohit Sharma at the other end going even better with 78 from 38, the pair put on an incredible 148 for the first wicket to lay the platform for the victory.

It was the perfect start for Rickelton, who also kept wicket during the encounter.

Rickelton Believes in Space for Both De Kock and Himself in MI Squad 

MI have an embarrassment of riches too, as they also have fellow Proteas opener and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock in their squad.

Despite both players offering wicketkeeping duties and explosive hitting at the top of the order, Rickelton insists there is space for both in any side.

"It's nice to have Quinny back; he's obviously a world beater. He's following me everywhere and putting pressure on me, which isn't fun sometimes," Rickelton told SportsBoom.co.za.

"But competition is always healthy. And again, I still believe that we can always play on the same team.”

It’s also no secret that Rickelton would prefer to come in at first drop, meaning De Kock could still open. While that could easily work for the Proteas, that may not be the case for MI with players like Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav in their squad. In fact, MI have three wicketkeepers with up-and-coming Robin Minz among their stocks.

"So, if I have to bat at number three, at least I had a great experience in the IPL. I've wrapped my head around it a lot. I've got experienced number three and four batters within the side.

“The local Indian guys here, Sky [Yadav] and Tilak [Varma], they've done it for many years in their careers, so I can always lean on them," said Rickelton. 

@Michael_Sherman

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