Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will open their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign against three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a high-profile clash at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. IST. Both teams will aim to open their 2026 campaigns with a win and build early momentum in the tournament.
Mumbai, led by Hardik Pandya, enter the tournament with the goal of securing a record-extending sixth IPL title. Pandya, captaining the side for the third consecutive season, will aim to guide the team past previous near-misses. Mumbai reached the playoffs last season but were eliminated in Qualifier 2 after losing to Punjab Kings.
The franchise has not lifted the trophy since 2020 and will be eager to end that drought. Their squad features experienced players such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Trent Boult, giving them a balanced combination of batting strength and bowling depth.
Kolkata, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, arrive with a refreshed squad following strategic moves at the mini-auction. The team will rely on key players including Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Finn Allen. The season also marks a transition for Kolkata, who move forward without long-time all-rounder Andre Russell, ending a significant chapter in the franchise’s history. Kolkata will look to improve on last season’s performance, where they won five of 14 matches and finished eighth despite entering the tournament as defending champions.
Wankhede Stadium Pitch Report
The Wankhede surface is expected to favor batters, offering pace and bounce along with short boundaries that encourage high scoring. Fast bowlers may find early swing, while spinners could come into play later. Dew is likely to influence conditions, making chasing a preferred option. Teams chasing have historically enjoyed success at this venue, with a win rate of approximately 60%.
Mumbai Weather Forecast
Conditions are expected to be clear in Mumbai, with temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius and humidity near 73 percent during match time. There is no chance of rain.
Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders Squads:
Mumbai Indians Squad: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Naman Dhir, Ryan Rickelton, AM Ghazanfar, Mayank Markande, Danish Malewar, Ashwani Kumar, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Mayank Rawat, Atharva Ankolekar, Raghu Sharma
Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Tim Seifert(w), Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kartik Tyagi, Umran Malik, Rahul Tripathi, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Rachin Ravindra, Blessing Muzarabani, Navdeep Saini, Prashant Solanki, Daksh Kamra, Sarthak Ranjan, Tejasvi Dahiya, Saurabh Dubey
Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders Probable Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Hardik Pandya (captain), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, AM Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah.Impact player: Mayank Markande.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Finn Allen, Sunil Narine, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik, Blessing Muzarabani, Varun Chakravarthy.Impact player: Rahul Tripathi.
Broadcast and Streaming
Matches will be televised on the Star Sports network. Live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.