Ryan Rickelton [Source: AFP]Ryan Rickelton has been in outstanding form in IPL 2026. On Monday, the Mumbai Indians opener delivered an excellent performance against LSG at the Wankhede Stadium; however, despite his impressive knock, Rickelton later revealed that he was abused due to an interesting reason.Notably, he scored a powerful 83 runs in just 42 balls, helping his team get off to a strong start while chasing a big target of 229 runs. Moreover, Rickelton played aggressively right from the beginning, scoring his runs quickly and putting pressure on the opposition bowlers. His innings included six fours and eight sixes. Ryan Rickelton reveals the pressure on himIn addition, Ryan Rickelton built a massive 143-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma. This partnership laid the foundation for Mumbai Indians’ successful chase. As a result, Mumbai Indians managed to chase down the target comfortably in just 18.4 overs, winning the match by six wickets.However, despite his match-winning performance, Rickelton revealed something interesting after the game. He said that his teammate Quinton de Kock “abused” him for not completing a century.At the same time, Ryan Rickelton admitted that having a player like De Kock on the bench creates pressure. Since both players are competing for the same opening spot in the Mumbai Indians team, it can be mentally challenging."It's been tricky, I suppose, to have a guy of Quinny's calibre sitting on the bench at the start of the season. It was tricky to manage mentally because maybe you're burning yourself with a bit more pressure to do well because you have a guy who's flipping good sitting behind you, and the whole world's screaming to pick him," he said.Also Read: Ryan Rickelton Issues Hardik Pandya Injury Update; Will MI Captain Return Vs RCB?Ryan Rickelton abused by his MI teammateAlthough the word “abused” might sound harsh, it was actually said in a light-hearted and friendly manner.Notably, de Kock was jokingly upset that Rickelton got out after scoring 83 instead of reaching a hundred. Rickelton himself agreed that he missed a good opportunity to score a century. In addition, Rickelton revealed that de Kock has been helping him behind the scenes to improve his game. "And I still back my game, I still back my skill, and the opportunity was there. I just really want to try to represent this team globally as well, but this team in general, Mumbai Indians. So, it's always healthy competition. We're very supportive of each other. I mean, he was the first person to absolutely abuse me tonight, saying I threw away a hundred, which I agree with. So, yeah, he's very supportive," Rickelton said.Even though they are rivals for a place in the team, Rickelton and de Kock share a strong friendship. Both of them also open the batting for South Africa, which has helped build their connection over time.Ryan Rickelton consistently performing for Mumbai Indians So far in IPL 2026, Ryan Rickelton has been very consistent. Notably, the South African opener has scored 380 runs in 8 innings at an impressive strike rate of 190.95, which includes one century. However, he has narrowly missed out on scoring a hundred on two occasions this season.Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians will now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their next IPL 2026 match at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Raipur on Sunday, May 10.Also Read: Did Deepak Chahar's Sister Malti Chahar Expose MI-Hardik Pandya Rift? Fans Stunned
