Ryan Rickelton's 123 not out in vain as Sunrisers Hyderabad chase down 244

Key facts

• Ryan Rickelton scored 123* off 55 balls, with 10 fours and 8 sixes, against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 30, 2026.
• Rickelton's century was the fastest for Mumbai Indians, reaching three figures in 44 balls.
• He missed a century by 19 runs at the same Wankhede Stadium a month earlier against Kolkata Knight Riders.
• Mumbai Indians posted 243/5, their highest total of the season, but SRH chased it down with 8 balls to spare.
• Travis Head scored 76 off 30 balls and Abhishek Sharma 45 off 24, putting on a 129-run opening stand.
• Heinrich Klaasen remained unbeaten on 65 off 30 balls, anchoring the chase with a 80-run partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy.
• Rickelton has 260 runs in six innings this IPL season at an average of 52.00 and a strike rate above 181.
• Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim compared Rickelton's technique to Punjab Kings' Priyansh Arya.

A landmark innings undone by a relentless chase

Ryan Rickelton produced the finest innings of his Indian Premier League career on Wednesday, hammering an unbeaten 123 off 55 balls to propel Mumbai Indians to 243 for 5 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. Yet his effort was rendered futile as SRH cantered to the target with six wickets and eight balls in hand, registering their sixth win of the season. Rickelton's knock — the fastest century for MI, reached in 44 deliveries — included ten fours and eight sixes. He had missed a century by 19 runs at the same ground against Kolkata Knight Riders exactly a month earlier. This time, he raced from 89 to 99 with a four and a six off Nitish Kumar Reddy before taking a single to bring up three figures. The South African wicketkeeper-batter needed 23 balls for his first fifty and just 21 for his second. He and opening partner Will Jacks, who made 46 off 22 balls, put on 93 runs in 7.1 overs after MI chose to bat.

Rickelton's return and the team's reliance on him

Rickelton has featured in six of MI's eight matches this season, missing two games after a dip in form made way for uncapped Indian opener Danish Malewar. Despite three single-digit scores, he leads MI's run charts with 260 runs at an average of 52.00 and a strike rate above 181, including a century and a fifty. His patchy form mirrors MI's batting struggles as a unit. The five-time champions are languishing at ninth on the points table and desperately need to win their remaining matches to stay in playoff contention. Speaking on ESPNCricinfo's 'Timeout' show, former Indian cricketer Saba Karim praised Rickelton's resilience. "It is not easy, especially for an overseas batter, to come in, do well, again get dropped," Karim said. "For Ryan Rickelton to come back and score so briskly — he also realised, I am sure there has been a team talk, that we need to get a solid base in the powerplay."

Partnerships that built MI's imposing total

After Jacks fell for 46, Rickelton anchored the innings through the middle overs, when MI lost Suryakumar Yadav cheaply in the ninth over and Naman Dhir struggled to 22 off 17 balls. Karim highlighted Rickelton's importance during this phase: "I think Ryan Rickelton's presence was so important for MI." Rickelton then accelerated alongside skipper Hardik Pandya, who made 31 off 15 balls, and later with Dhir. The last 23 runs of his innings came in 11 balls. He carried his bat to the end, ensuring MI reached 243 for 5. Karim noted Rickelton's ability to handle spin, pointing to the seventh over bowled by Harsh Dubey, which went for 15 runs. "Pat Cummins thought that maybe spinner can do the work. But Ryan Rickelton, and Will Jacks as well, to nullify that over, just goes to show that they had their plans laid out."

SRH's explosive reply and the 'Travi-Shek' show

Sunrisers Hyderabad's chase was powered by a 129-run opening stand between Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Head, returning to form, smashed 76 off 30 balls with four boundaries and eight sixes, while Sharma made 45 off 24. The pair raced to 78 without loss in the powerplay, matching MI's own start. Despite slipping to 133 for 3 in the 10th over after Allah Ghazanfar and Hardik Pandya struck, SRH's depth proved decisive. Heinrich Klaasen remained unbeaten on 65 off 30 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes, and added 80 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy (21 off 17). Salil Arora's cameo of 30* off 10 balls sealed the win with eight balls to spare. Praful Hinge (2/54) and Eshan Malinga (1/29) were the pick of SRH's bowlers. For MI, Ghazanfar took 2/51 and Pandya 1/39.

A season of centuries without victories

Rickelton joins an unfortunate list of batters this season who scored centuries but ended on the losing side: Quinton de Kock, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sai Sudharsan, KL Rahul, and Tilak Varma. His 123* is the highest individual score by an MI batter, surpassing previous records. Karim compared Rickelton's technique to that of Punjab Kings' rising star Priyansh Arya. "Both of them are very steady, they don't step out to pace bowlers in the powerplay; they wait for the ball to come their way," he said. "And both of them have got a similar kind of a batswing when they try and hit on the on side." The defeat leaves MI with a steep uphill climb. With only a handful of matches remaining, their playoff hopes hinge on winning every game and hoping other results go their way.

The bottom line

• Ryan Rickelton's 123* off 55 balls was the fastest century for Mumbai Indians, but it came in a losing cause as SRH chased 244 with ease.
• Rickelton has been MI's leading run-scorer despite inconsistent form, reflecting the team's overall batting struggles.
• Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma's 129-run opening stand set the platform for SRH's successful chase, with Heinrich Klaasen finishing the job.
• Rickelton missed a century at the same venue a month earlier, highlighting his growing prowess at Wankhede Stadium.
• Saba Karim compared Rickelton's technique to Priyansh Arya, noting their steady approach against pace and effectiveness against spin.
• MI remain ninth on the points table and must win their remaining matches to stay in playoff contention.