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MI vs KKR IPL 2026 Opener: Clash of Titans at Wankhede Stadium

The Indian Premier League 2026 season kicks off with a high-profile clash between five-time champions Mumbai Indians and three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. MI, led by Hardik Pandya, seeks to end their title drought with a strong core including Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. KKR, under Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy, looks to rebound from a disastrous previous season despite the notable absence of Andre Russell. The match will be broadcast live on Star Sports and streamed on JioCinema and Hotstar.

Key Points: MI vs KKR IPL 2026: Match Time, Live Streaming, Squad Details

  • MI aims for first title since 2020
  • Hardik Pandya captains MI for third year
  • KKR led by Ajinkya Rahane
  • Match on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium
3 min read

IPL 2026: When and where to watch MI vs KKR match, know all details

Watch Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2026 opener live on March 29. Get match time, venue, TV channel, live streaming details, and full squad lists.

"MI head into the 2026 season with a clear goal- to lift their sixth title in the tournament. - Report"

Mumbai, March 28

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians will start their campaign in the Indian Premier League 2026 against the three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

MI head into the 2026 season with a clear goal- to lift their sixth title in the tournament. The side will once again be captained by Hardik Pandya, who is leading the team for the third consecutive year and will be eager to deliver a successful campaign this time around.

MI made a strong comeback in the last season and secured its spot in the playoffs. Their campaign ended after the team lost to the Punjab Kings in the Qualifiers two. The five-time champions have not won a single trophy after 2020 and they would like to end their quest in the upcoming season.

With a strong core that includes Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Trent Boult, Mumbai looks like a well-balanced and dangerous team on paper.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders have also put together a strong squad after making the most of their big budget at the mini-auction. The team will continue under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, who will rely on a powerful lineup featuring players like Cameron Green, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Finn Allen. Notably, this will be the first season in more than ten years that KKR will play without Andre Russell in their squad.

KKR had a disastrous season last year, where the team was able to win only five matches out of 14 they played in the group stage. The team finished in 8th position despite coming as the defending champions.

When: March 29, 7:30 PM IST

Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Where to watch on TV: Fans can watch MI vs KKR match live on Star Sports channels.

Where to watch on mobile and laptop: Fans can watch the live streaming on the JioHotstar website and mobile app. It will be available in many regional languages.

Squads:

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickleton, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghafanzar, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur, Quinton de Kock, Mohammad Izhar, Danish Malewar, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Manish Pandey, Rovman Powell, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Umran Malik, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Kartik Tyagi, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Tejasvi Dahiya, Sarthak Ranjan, Rachin Ravindra, Akash Deep, Prashant Solanki, Daksh Kamra

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Ananya R
KKR fan here! Last season was painful to watch. Rahane needs to be more aggressive as captain. The team looks good on paper with Green and Narine, but I'm really going to miss Dre Russ. His absence leaves a huge hole in the middle order. Hope the young guys step up.
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Sarah B
Watching from the US! So glad Hotstar has the streaming rights. The 7:30 PM IST start is perfect for a morning watch here. Looking forward to seeing Cameron Green play for KKR. Should be a cracking match to start the season.
V
Vikram M
Honestly, I feel MI is relying too much on past glory. Hardik's captaincy hasn't been convincing, and the team hasn't won since 2020. KKR might just spring a surprise at the Wankhede if their bowling clicks. Don't write them off.
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Priya S
The real battle will be Bumrah vs Rinku Singh in the death overs! That's the match-up I'm waiting for. Also, good to see the match available in regional languages on Hotstar. My grandparents can enjoy it in Tamil. 🏏
K
Karthik V
Star Sports pe dekhunga with full family! Sunday night, biryani, and IPL - perfect combo. Hope the match lives up to the hype. MI should win this comfortably at home, but cricket is a funny game. KKR ki team mein dam hai.

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