MI Vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians Break 14-Year Opening-Match Jinx With Six-Wicket Win

Good evening, cricket fans! This is the start of our live blog covering the IPL 2026 match between MI and KKR at the Wankhede Stadium. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and playing XIs as they are revealed.

• Fixture: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders

• Series: Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026

• Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

• Date: Sunday, March 29, 2026

• Time: 7:30 PM IST

Harshit Rana? Out for the season. Akash Deep? Same. Matheesha Pathirana? Sitting out the opening few matches. KKR have an injury crisis ahead of the opener, facing an almost full-strength MI side at Wankhede. How will the two teams line up tonight? Read here.

Will Mumbai Indians finally break their season opener voodoo? Or will Kolkata Knight Riders cause an upset at Wankhede with their young squad? Find out which team is predicted to win tonight's MI vs KKR IPL 2026 match.

How much of an advantage will it be for Mumbai Indians to play their opening match at home? Find out how the weather will be in Mumbai tonight, and how the pitch at Wankhede will likely behave in our pitch and weather report for the MI vs KKR match.

• Matches played: 35

• MI wins: 24

• KKR wins: 11

• NR: 0

Royah Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL 2026 opening match, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets on Saturday. SRH posted a fighting total of 201/9, with Ishan Kishan scoring 80 off 38. However, Virat Kohli (69 not out) and Devdutt Padikkal (61) helped RCB reach 203/4 in 15.4 overs. Read about yesterday's IPL match.

Kolkata Knight Riders enter IPL 2026 with plenty of uncertainty, hit by injuries to Mustafizur Rahman, Akash Deep, Matheesha Pathirana, and Harshit Rana, leaving questions over their best XI and batting order. They face five-time champions Mumbai Indians at Wankhede, who are missing Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner but have backups like Sherfane Rutherford and debutant AM Ghazanfar.

Key battles will be Rohit Sharma’s firepower against Varun Chakravarthy’s comeback form, making KKR’s season opener a crucial test of strategy and depth.

It’s toss time at Wankhede Stadium! Rahane calls tails, but the coin flips to heads. Mumbai Indians win the toss and opt to bowl first, sending Kolkata Knight Riders out to open their innings.

The captains are talking ahead of the action at Wankhede, and the energy is high.

Ajinkya Rahane says Kolkata Knight Riders were always planning to bowl first. “Never seen this much grass at Wankhede,” he laughs. Camps in Kolkata and Mumbai have set them up well, but he knows MI are champions. “We just want to stay in the moment, not dwell on the past.” A couple of injuries mean KKR are going with six batters and five bowlers, with four overseas stars – Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Sunil Narine, and Blessing Muzarabani – ready to make an impact.

Hardik Pandya confirms Mumbai Indians will bowl. He’s eyeing the pitch: “Looks greener than it used to, a good track to start with.” The home crowd is roaring, and MI’s mix of experience and youth is ready to take charge. With leaders like Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav, and Mitchell Santner in the squad, Pandya is pumped: “Excited to go out there and perform.” They too stick with six batters and five bowlers, ready for a classic Wankhede showdown.

The stage is set. The fans are buzzing. Let’s get this match rolling.

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markande, AM Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah

Kolkata Knight Riders Impact subs: Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey, Tejasvi Dahiya

Mumbai Indians Impact subs: Suryakumar Yadav, Corbin Bosch, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Ashwani Kumar

Mumbai Indians are playing it smart, Suryakumar Yadav, India’s captain, is listed as the impact substitute. A precautionary move after his recent workload, but fans can expect him to take the crease when it’s time to bat.

Kolkata Knight Riders are making interesting calls too. Bowling second, they’ve gone with a couple of promising options in Kartik Tyagi and Saurabh Dubey, both of whom shone during the warm-up matches. The KKR management is clearly rewarding form and potential ahead of experience, setting up an intriguing contest.

Game on! Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen walk out to open the innings for Kolkata Knight Riders, with Rahane taking strike. Trent Boult is steaming in from the other end to kick things off, let’s see how this one unfolds.

Trent Boult bowls a good-length delivery just outside off, and Ajinkya Rahane smashes it with perfect timing, wrists in, ball flies over wide mid-on for a huge SIX! What a start.

Hardik Pandya bowls a good-length delivery just outside off, and Finn Allen swings, and misses! Too short for a pull, and he’s beaten on the inside edge. Close call, but no run.

A M Ghazanfar bowls a slightly short one, and Finn Allen doesn’t waste a second! He leans back and smashes a powerful pull over deep mid-wicket for SIX. KKR finish the over with 17 runs, what a statement from Allen.

Oh, look at that. Hardik Pandya bowls a back-of-a-length delivery right on the stumps, Finn Allen moves back in a flash, rolls those wrists, and smashes it past square leg! The ball races to the boundary, FOUR runs for Kolkata Knight Riders. What a shot, the crowd is loving it.

Finally! Shardul Thakur strikes for Mumbai Indians, Finn Allen is OUT, caught by Tilak Varma! What a crucial wicket for MI. It was a slower, floaty delivery outside off, and Allen went after it with the shovel shot but just couldn’t get the timing right.

The ball drifts off the inner half and Tilak Varma takes a simple but vital catch at long-on. Allen departs after a whirlwind 37 off 17 balls, studded with 4 fours and 2 massive sixes. What a rollercoaster for KKR.

KKR 70/1 (5.3)

Mayank Markande bowls just outside off, and Ajinkya Rahane gets his bat on it with a slightly open face. He finds the gap just left of cover and they scamper through for a quick single, and they push for the second! KKR inch forward, keeping the scoreboard ticking.

Time for the strategic break, and what a start from Kolkata Knight Riders! Ajinkya Rahane set the tone with a flurry of boundaries, Finn Allen joined the party, and Cameron Green has just unleashed a monster shot to keep the momentum flying. On the other side, Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians’ head coach, is deep in discussion with his bowlers, trying to figure out how to wrest control back as MI looks to turn the tables.

Shardul Thakur bowls a short one outside off, and Cameron Green is quick to pounce! He backs away and slices it past the fielder to deep backward point, FOUR runs! The boundaries just keep flowing for Kolkata Knight Riders.

And just like that, Shardul Thakur strikes again! Cameron Green is OUT, caught by Sherfane Rutherford. A short, slower one outside off, and Green tries to loft it over deep cover but can’t get the elevation right, Rutherford takes a sharp catch. Green departs after a breezy 18 off 10 balls, with 1 four and 1 massive six. Mumbai Indians breathe a sigh of relief.

Fifty up for Ajinkya Rahane! He nudges a back-of-a-length, angled delivery from Trent Boult toward third man. The fielder can’t cut it off, and Rahane sneaks through two runs. What a classy knock so far.

Oh, a dot ball! Trent Boult serves up a slow, full off-cutter outside off, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi goes for a cheeky lap shot, but misses it completely. No run there, Boult keeping the pressure on!

And there it is, Shardul Thakur strikes again! Ajinkya Rahane is OUT, caught by Hardik Pandya! A full delivery just outside off, Rahane tries to go inside-out, but the bat slices it high toward extra cover.

Hardik Pandya drifts back and takes it comfortably. Rahane departs after a storming 67 off 40 balls, laced with 3 fours and 5 massive sixes. What a crucial breakthrough for Mumbai Indians.

Trent Boult to Rinku Singh, FOUR! What a juicy full toss outside off, and Rinku Singh is quick to pounce, carves it elegantly over the infield at cover-point. No one in the deep, and that’s an easy boundary for the left-hander. Mumbai Indians scramble to adjust the field immediately after that shot.

Jasprit Bumrah bowls, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi goes down on one knee to sweep it over backward square leg, FOUR. That brings up a 50-run stand for Kolkata Knight Riders, and Raghuvanshi is creeping closer to his own fifty. The innings is building nicely.

Fifty up for Angkrish Raghuvanshi! He slices a Hardik Pandya delivery away for FOUR to reach the milestone in style, a classy knock from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ left-hander.

But just when it seemed like he might take KKR to a big total, Hardik Pandya strikes again! Raghuvanshi goes for a shot, and Tilak Varma takes a sharp catch, he’s OUT for 51 off 29 balls, with 6 fours and 2 huge sixes. What a dramatic twist for Mumbai Indians.

KKR post 220-4 in 20 overs! Finn Allen and Ajinkya Rahane set the tone with a fiery 69-run powerplay, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi added a classy fifty to keep KKR in control. Cameron Green and Rinku Singh provided handy contributions, while Shardul Thakur picked up three crucial wickets and Jasprit Bumrah kept things tight at the death. A massive total for Mumbai Indians to chase.

Chase time! Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma walk out to take on the Kolkata Knight Riders’ total, with Rickelton on strike. Vaibhav Arora is steaming in to open the bowling attack, let’s see how Mumbai Indians start their reply.

Oh no! Skipper Ajinkya Rahane is down, looks like cramps at first, but it’s more serious than that. The physio rushes out, and Rahane is being helped off the pitch, walking away gingerly. Rinku Singh steps in to take over the captaincy for the moment as Kolkata Knight Riders regroup.

Fifty up for Rohit Sharma! Kartik Tyagi floats a full-toss, and Rohit swipes across, a thick inside edge finds the gap wide of mid-wicket. They scamper through for two, and Mumbai Indians’ captain brings up his 50th IPL fifty in style.

Sunil Narine bowls, and Ryan Rickelton pounces. He hammers it over long-on, SIX. The partnership with Rohit Sharma is firing, and Mumbai Indians are off to a flying start in the chase.

Oh wow! Kartik Tyagi bowls a high one right at Rohit Sharma, and it’s immediately called a NO-BALL! Fast and straight into his chest, Rohit tried to pull but only gets a blow on his gloves. They sneak through for a single, and now Ryan Rickelton is set to face the free-hit.

KKR are in serious trouble as the chase slips away. Live win probability shows Mumbai Indians dominating with 89%, while Kolkata Knight Riders are down to just 11%. MI look firmly on course to wrap this up in style.

And that’s the end of a spectacular knock! Rohit Sharma is out, caught by Anukul Roy off Vaibhav Arora. What a brilliant catch to dismiss the Hitman. Rohit walks back to a standing ovation from the crowd and his teammates after smashing 78 off 38 balls, with 6 fours and 6 massive sixes. What an innings.

Varun Chakaravarthy bowls slightly full outside off, and Ryan Rickelton steps in, slaps it uppishly past the sprinting fielder at long-off for FOUR. Absolutely powered by the southpaw, no chance of stopping that one.

Timeout called! Pollard and Jayawardene take a quick huddle with the Mumbai Indians squad, while Bravo, Nayar, and Southee talk tactics with the Kolkata Knight Riders. The MI openers have dominated the chase, and with just 38 runs needed off 5 overs, it’s looking all but over for KKR.

Sunil Narine bowls, and Hardik Pandya steps in, FOUR. He picks the length early, rocks back, and pummels it powerfully towards the wide long-on boundary. The fielder has no chance as the scores are now level.

Naman Dhir finishes it off in style, smashing one straight down the ground to seal the win for Mumbai Indians, their first victory in an opening IPL match since 2012! It was a largely smooth chase, though the target made things look slightly tense towards the end, but MI stayed in control.

Kolkata Knight Riders fought hard, even after Ajinkya Rahane walked off injured, with Rinku Singh leading smartly, but it just wasn’t enough. The game was effectively decided early, thanks to a dominant opening stand from Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. That’s a wrap, stay tuned for the presentation.

“I like challenges, and bowling that sixth over was definitely one of them. Today felt like one of those special performances. This ground has given me both bitter and sweet memories over the years, but playing for Mumbai means everything. I was a net bowler here back in 2010, and now to represent Mumbai Indians, my home team, it’s a dream come true. I’d love to stay here for a long time. The backing from the management has been incredible. As for the ‘Lord’ nickname, I enjoy it, it’s given by the fans and comes from a positive place. When you perform, the love naturally follows.”

That’s a wrap! We’ll be back soon with another live blog, until then, take care and see you next time.