IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya Chooses to Bowl First Against KKR
MI vs KKR: Toss Results
In the opening match of the IPL 2026 season at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and decided to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Aiming for Glory vs Seeking Redemption
As the new season begins, the Mumbai Indians are determined to secure their sixth IPL title, aiming to break a title drought that has persisted since 2020. Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya for the third consecutive year, the five-time champions are eager to start the 2026 season with a victory. On the other hand, the Kolkata Knight Riders, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, are looking for a turnaround after a disappointing 2025 season, where they finished eighth with only five wins out of 14 matches.
Captain's Insights
During the toss, Hardik Pandya explained that MI opted to bowl first due to the promising green appearance of the pitch. He expressed confidence in playing at their home ground, supported by a strong crowd. "We are going to bowl. The track looks good, greener than usual. Let's see how it performs. This is our fortress, and the crowd is behind us. We are excited to play well. We have started a couple of weeks earlier, bringing in a mix of experience and youth. With players like Rohit, Surya, and Mitchell Santner, we have plenty of leadership; I'm just eager to perform. We're going with six bowlers and five batters," Pandya stated.
Playing XIs and Impact Substitutes
Kolkata Knight Riders
The playing XI for KKR includes: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (w), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, and Blessing Muzarabani.
Impact substitutes for KKR are: Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey, and Tejasvi Dahiya.
Mumbai Indians
The MI lineup features: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (w), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markande, AM Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Impact substitutes for MI include: Suryakumar Yadav, Corbin Bosch, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, and Ashwani Kumar.