IPL 2026: Mumbai end 13-year opening game jinx with statement win over Kolkata at Wankhede

Mumbai Indians (MI) have finally ended their 13-year opening game jinx in IPL 2026 after beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by six wickets at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Former captain Rohit Sharma (78) and keeper-batter Ryan Rickelton (81) starred with the bat, as the hosts chased down a record 221 with 10 balls remaining. Mumbai last won its tournament opener in 2012, and after 13 consecutive opening-day defeats, they have finally started a season with two points.

Mumbai won the toss and elected to field, welcoming back several T20 World Cup-winning heroes just three weeks after their historic triumph in Ahmedabad on March 8. From Jasprit Bumrah to captain Hardik Pandya, the national stars looked clinical in their first franchise outing of the year.

KKR batted first, with captain Ajinkya Rahane top scoring (67 off 40 balls). Opening alongside Finn Allen, who made headlines for his record T20I hundred in the semifinal against the Proteas, scored 37 in just 17 balls, hitting two sixes and four fours. Handy contributions from KKR debutant Cameron Green (18), gloveman Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51 off 29 balls) and Rinku Singh (33* off 21 balls) saw KKR post a fighting total (220 for four) in their first innings.

New pair broke records for MI

Mumbai Indians had a new opening pair in Rohit and Rickelton, and they clicked for the hosts, adding 148 runs for the first wicket inside 12 overs. While Rohit was the aggressor of the two before Vaibhav Arora broke the stand, Rickelton upped his game, smashing a brilliant 81 off 43 balls, with eight sixes and four fours. Following an impressive last year with Mumbai, the left-handed South African impressed with his versatile strokeplay.

The pair made light work of KKR’s bowling, smashing every one for fun, including their twin spin kings, Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. Although their wickets did dent MI’s momentum, as more followed them, including SKY (18) and Tilak Varma (20), captain Pandya ensured the Mumbai Indians wasted no time in wrapping up the chase, and gained two crucial points.

This win not only gave them the points in their tournament opener that they sought for the past 13 editions, but also helped them attain a healthy Net Run Rate (NRR), which might come in handy later in the tournament.