Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton said that he is happy to spoil the game of Rajasthan Royals when both the teams face each other in the IPL 2026 match on Sunday.
MI is out of the tournament, while RR will have to win this match if they want to qualify. If they lose this match, the initial champions will be out of the tournament.
Rickelton spoke to the broadcasters just before the start of the afternoon game at the Wankhede Stadium.
“The pitch suits my game” – Ryan Rickelton
Rickelton said that he likes batting at Wankhede Stadium. He compared the ground to his home ground of Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“It (Wankhede) is a very good place to play. I think the wicket suits my game. The wicket has a lot of pace and a lot of bounce, similar to the conditions at Wanderers in South Africa, where I’m from. Yes, with outfield lightning, the ball appears to be flying, even though it is a coastal venue. And yes, it’s just a pitch that I’ve obviously trained on over the last few years and become quite familiar with the conditions,” Rickelton said.
“He doesn’t panic in high-pressure situations” – Rickelton on Rohit Sharma
Rickelton was asked about his early partnership with Rohit Sharma and how they are keeping up with each other.
“I think he brings composure to any situation. You know, he’s obviously been around for a while; he’s seen it all. He doesn’t really panic even in high-pressure situations, low-pressure situations. So it just reminds me, you know, we work hard, we work very well together.”
“So it keeps me calm, makes sure I’m making the right choices at the right time. And if we both do that collectively, we know we’ll get a good powerplay score and then hopefully neither of us get too tired, and we can kick on for the second half,” Rickelton said.
“We’ve had some good matches” – Ryan Rickelton
Rickelton also talked about his encounter with Jofra Archer and how he planned to counter the Englishman’s pace. Rickelton talked about how Archer will enjoy bowling at the Wankhede Stadium.
“Probably try to use it to be honest. He’s been really good for him this year. Yeah, we’ve played some good matches in the past, but this will be a wicket he likes to bowl on. It’s got a lot of pace and a lot of bounce. So if I can try to use the extra pace he’s got, especially at this venue, then hopefully we can get past him this afternoon,” said Ryan Rickelton.
“I don’t want them to move on” – Ryan Rickelton
Ryan Rickelton also talked about the opportunity for RR to have a bad game in the season. As mentioned earlier, RR will be out of the tournament if they lose to MI on Sunday.
“100%, yes. I don’t want them to make a fuss. I like to make a little upset. And it’s obviously unfortunate the season we’ve had, but we’ve been in situations before where teams have made a upset for us. So if we can throw the cat among the pigeons and keep three teams alive in the tournament, or, you know, take it down to the wire tonight, then that’s what we’re going to do,” Ryan Rickelton. Said.
Also read: “Release” – Aaron Finch gives blunt verdict on Ruturaj Gaikwad and Cameron Green amid IPL 2026
