Ryan Rickleton has revealed how he picked Rohit Sharma’s brain by avoiding T20 talks and instead having conversations about batting in general to continue his rise in Mumbai Indians colours. Rickleton was one of the stars for MI in their win against LSG, helping the five-time champions keep their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive.
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Rickleton scored 83 off 32 balls MI were chasing 229 in 18.4 overs with six wickets remaining. The South African continues to be one of the bright sparks for Mumbai this season as he has been their highest run-scorer with 380 in eight matches at a strike rate of 190.95. He put on 143 runs with Rohit in 65 balls, their third century stand in 18 outings.
During this time, the duo amassed 825 runs, making them the fourth best opening partnership for MI in their history. So what is the reason for their success? Rickleton says it’s all down to Rohit’s chemistry.
“I think Rohit’s just really good, that’s the chemistry. Obviously it’s nice to get back out there with him, obviously he’s been on the sidelines for a while and to see him come back and play the way he’s been playing, so free-flowing, is something pretty unique. I think we complement each other really nicely as a left-handed, right-handed (pair).
“Sometimes he’ll run really fast and take a lot of pressure off me and sometimes I’ll get away quick and take a lot of pressure off him. That was probably the case tonight, but I ran out and after coming back from five or six games, he got a few balls to get back to hitting in his lineups, and then he obviously transferred that pressure to the pitchers, and it’s just a dream to watch when I see him.” full flow, you know, it’s a treat, it takes the pressure off you, so I enjoy it,” Rickleton said.
‘NO LIFE CHANGING ADVICE’
Rickleton admitted he didn’t get any life-changing advice from Rohit, but simple things like handling pressure, staying calm and understanding the game.
“I probably picked his (Rohit’s) brain a bit more in the first year, just about batting in general, not necessarily T20 batting – Tests and batting over 50 and the specifics of the mentality around that,” Rickelton said. “I think he’s just a little bit different, like I said, he’s one of the best to play the game. And it’s never life-changing advice. It’s things that you’ve heard in different ways as you work your way through the game.”
“It’s more about how he handles the pressure, how he stays calm and how he backs up his ability and understands his game really well. So it’s always really great to go out there batting with one of the best in India and I hope to continue to do that for a while,” Rickleton said.
MI next up against RCB in Raipur in a must win game on Sunday 10th May.
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Published on:
05 May 2026 09:40 IST
