'Mujhhe open kara de' - KKR's Ramandeep Singh expresses desire to bat higher up the order

Mumbai Indians (MI) secured their first win of the IPL 2025 season with a stunning victory against the reigning champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), on Monday, March 31. Despite having a slow start to the season, the Mumbai-based franchise went on to portray a powerful performance, both with the bat and the ball, in their first home game at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. 

It was KKR's second loss of the season in three games. After the match, the Knight Riders' lower order batter Ramandeep Singh, who came at the No. 9 position in the previous game, revealed that he won't mind opening the innings for the team if given a chance. 

"Main toh chahta hu mujhhe open kara de. Meri toh wahi koshish rehti hai. (I want to open the batting. I always try to bat up the order)," said Ramandeep Singh in the post-match press conference. 

"Team ka jaha combination set hai, jaha team mein mujhe opporutnity milti hai, mujhe waha accha karne ki koshish karni hai. Match-winner banne ki koshish karni hai. (We have a set combination, I am ready to bat anywhere the team wants me to. I will to produced match-winning knocks there)," he added.

MI's Ashwani Kumar shines on IPL debut

MI's debutant Ashwani Kumar had an unforgettable match. He got a wicket on the first ball, claimed a four-wicket haul, and then won the 'Player of the Match' award. The 23-year-old player from a small town in Punjab didn't have much match experience before featuring in the cash-rich league. However, he showed his skills, announcing himself to the world.

Ryan Rickelton also had a great day with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 62 runs off 41 balls. He hit four boundaries and five sixes in his innings. After Rohit Sharma (13 off 12) and Will Jacks' (16 off 17) dismissals, Suryakumar Yadav (27* off 9) stayed alongside Rickelton and took the team home.