Rickelton started the 2026 campaign at the top of the order with Rohit Sharma but lost his place to De Kock before then partnering with his national colleague when Rohit was struck down by injury.
The left-handed Rickelton has gone on to be Mumbai's leading run-scorer and has kept his place since Rohit's return.
"It's been tricky to have a guy of Quinny's calibre sitting on the bench at the start of the season," Rickelton told reporters.
"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 flippin' good sitting behind you, and the whole world's screaming to pick him.
"So to try and manage your way through that has a little bit of challenges and you can put yourself under a bit too much pressure.
"But on the flip side of that, I got an opportunity when he did some damage to his hand and I still backed my game, I still backed my skill, and the opportunity was there. We're very supportive of each other.
"He's very supportive. He's helped me a lot this tournament. He's watched my batting and he's tweaking things along the way to help."
Rickelton also spoke about the impact that someone like India international Rohit has had on his game with his wealth of experience in all hree formats at the highest level.
Since joining Mumbai Indians in 2025, Rickelton and Rohit have batted together 18 times, aggregating 825 with three century stands and two fifty partnerships.
"(I) probably picked his brain a little bit more first year, just about batting in general, not necessarily T20 batting - Tests and 50-over batting and the specifics of the mentality around it," Rickelton added.
"I think he's just a little different, like I said, he's one of the greatest to play the game. And it's never always life-changing advice that you get. It's stuff that you've heard through different paths as you kind of work your way through the game.
"It's just more how he manages pressure, how he stays calm and how he backs his ability and understands his game really well. S
"So, it's always really cool to be going out there to bat with one of India's greatest, and hopefully I can continue to do it for some time to come."
Sunrisers Hyderabad surged to the top of the IPL table with a commanding 33-run victory over Punjab Kings in a high-scoring contest at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where Heinrich Klaasen once again proved the difference with the bat.
Sanju Samson struck and brisk, unbeaten 87 to help Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals by eight wickets to record their fifth victory of the 2026 IPL season.
Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma produced a stunning opening stand to steer Mumbai Indians to a commanding six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Monday, keeping their faint IPL playoff hopes alive with a record chase at the Wankhede Stadium.
Kolkata Knight Riders kept their IPL playoff hopes alive with a seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad as the Gujarat Titans claimed a vital four-wicket win over table-toppers Punjab Kings.
