Mumbai Indians’ captain, Hardik Pandya, chose to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2026 opening match at Wankhede Stadium. Jasprit Bumrah rejoined the Mumbai squad after a quick visit to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for consultation, boosting the team before the game. The younger South African, Ryan Rickelton, was selected over Quinton de Kock for the match.
Afghanistan’s AM Ghazanfar received his debut cap before the match, with Mumbai Indians also including legends like Sachin Tendulkar in their huddle. KKR’s Cameron Green, the most expensive overseas player at INR 25.20 crore, will debut alongside Finn Allen and Blessing Muzarabani. Mumbai Indians’ captain, Pandya, noted the pitch’s green appearance and opted to have the first use of it.
KKR’s skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, expressed surprise at the pitch’s grassiness and indicated they too would have chosen to bowl first. The playing XIs for the match include notable players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Trent Boult for Mumbai Indians, and Ajinkya Rahane, Varun Chakravarthy, and Sunil Narine for Kolkata Knight Riders.
