Mumbai Indians’ captain, Hardik Pandya, chose to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Jasprit Bumrah rejoined the Mumbai squad after a quick visit to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The team saw the debut of Afghanistan spinner AM Ghazanfar and Sherfane Rutherford, who received his MI cap from Kieron Pollard.
Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton were seen practicing with the gloves, with Rickelton eventually getting the nod over de Kock. Cameron Green, the most expensive overseas player for KKR, was set to make his debut alongside Finn Allen and Blessing Muzarabani. Pandya mentioned that the pitch appeared greener than usual, prompting their decision to bowl first.
Both Pandya and KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane were surprised by the amount of grass on the pitch. Rahane noted that they too would have opted to bowl first. The playing XIs included notable names like Rohit Sharma, Trent Boult for MI, and Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine for KKR.
