Rickelton, Rohit masterclass hand MI 6-wicket win over KKR
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma slammed quickfire fifties to hand Mumbai Indians a comfortable six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday. This was MI's first opening round win after 13 seasons.
Chasing 221, Rickelton (81 off 43 balls) and Rohit (78 off 38 balls) shared a breezy 148-run opening stand off just 71 balls to set the platform for the win which MI achieved in 19.1 overs, reaching 224 for four. It was also a record chase by MI at home ground.
While Rickelton hit four boundaries and eight sixes, Rohit knock was laced with six fours and as many maximums.
Earlier, captain Ajinkya Rahane hit a fine half-century, but it was debutant Angkrish Raghuvanshi who lit up the stadium with a 29-ball 51 to help KKR post 220 for four.
Opener Rahane made 67 off 40 balls with the help of three fours and five sixes, while Raghuvanshi decorated his knock with six boundaries and two hits over the fence.
Towards the end, Rinku Singh made an unbeaten 21-ball 33.
Opting to bowl, Shardul Thakur (3/39) turned out to be the top wicket-taker for MI.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 220 for 4 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 67, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 51; Shardul Thakur 3/39).
Mumbai Indians: (Ryan Rickelton 81, Rohit Sharma 78; Sunil Narine 1/30).
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
