MI vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2026: MI end first game hoodoo, complete record chase of 221 after Rohit Sharma special

MI vs KKR LIVE Score: Rohit Sharma scored a terrific 78(38) to set the table for a chase of 221 against KKR.

Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 Highlights: Kolkata Knight Riders are in a good position thanks to Ajinkya Rahane's half-century, which guides the KKR effort even as MI gradually begin to pull things back with some wickets and some tight middle overs bowling. KKR certainly gunning for at least 220, but how much more can they get?

The Indian Premier League season is off to a start for 2026, with RCB beating SRH in the opener to get the ball rolling. The show keeps ticking along as it heads to the Wankhede Stadium, where two of the most successful IPL franchises with their own respective curses to end face off, Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders.

MI’s inability to get the IPL off to a winning start. It’s almost a little ridiculous – MI have not won their first game of an IPL season since 2012, but managed to get their hands on the trophy five times in that duration. Notoriously slow starters in whatever iteration of the team presents itself, there is no sense of panic in the Mumbai camp even with early losses – as shown in 2025, when they managed to make the playoffs despite being in ninth at the halfway mark of the league stage.

MI’s inability to win in their season opener meets KKR’s inability to win at the Wankhede. The Knight Riders have a horrific record at the Mumbai Stadium, only managing to win their twice in the entire history of the IPL. The funniest part – both times they won at the Wankhede, in 2012 and then 2024, they proceeded to lift the trophy.

In the game itself, it will be a strong Mumbai team, one favoured as leading contenders for the title given the quality at their disposal. They will miss a couple of key players when they begin their campaign, with Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner reportedly not having joined the team, but have the team depth that will ensure they won’t struggle too much. It’s a who’s-who throughout the team – Hardik Pandya as captain, guiding Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, as well as Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera, and that’s just the Indian talent.

To combat this quality, KKR will need to ensure they find the right balance early. The entered the 2026 auction with a war-chest and spent it on Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana, but have seen their bowling corps fall apart for a multitude of reasons leading up to the tournament. The bowling unit suddenly looks very fragile, depending on replacement players and late-auction picks to carry them through, with even more pressure on their star-spinner duo as they struggle to find the right form.

With the batting, it’s a top-heavy team which has lots of options, but AJinkya Rahane will need to be clever about how he organises his troops. Where does he himself bat? Which of Seifert and Allen is picked? What order will Raghuvanshi and Green bat in in the middle overs? How do you ensure Rinku Singh doesn’t have another campaign where he is averaging facing 8 balls per innings?

KKR have the batting options and need to figure out how to deploy them – with an undercooked bowling unit due to issues out of their control, the men in purple will rely on their ability to score big runs, especially given the calibre of batting Mumbai Indians will bring to the table on home turf, first-game curse or not.