Mumbai Indians (MI) broke their jinx of not winning their IPL tournament opening matches that they had been carrying since 2012, as they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mumbai on March 29 in their IPL 2026 opener.
KKR posted a formidable 220/4 thanks to fifties by skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi and contributions by Finn Allen and Rinku Singh. However, MI openers Rohit Sharma (78) and Ryan Rickelton (81) set the tone for the chase with a 148-run partnership inside 12 overs. This helped MI chase the total in 19.1 overs, finishing on 224/4 and winning the game by 6 wickets.
After the match, the MI squad celebrated their first win in IPL 2026 in the dressing room, and Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani addressed the winning contingent. She also presented the best batter badge to Rohit Sharma, who talked about what breaking this jinx meant.
“Well done, boys. This is something that we have wanted for the last 13 years. We’ve been talking about it. Now the ball is in our court. We decided what we have to do with it; it’s up to each one of us. So, head straight, feet on the ground. Let’s keep moving,” a pumped Rohit said in a video shared by MI.
Rohit Sharma’s 78 had six fours and six sixes, while Rickelton smashed 81 with 4 fours and 8 sixes to his name. It was the sixth time MI chased down a 200-plus total in the IPL and also extended their dominance over KKR to 25-11.
MI will next face DC in Delhi on April 4 in a day game.
