Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders are set to kick off their IPL 2026 campaigns on Sunday as both sides are slated to face each other in the second match of the tournament on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians are in their quest to add a sixth trophy to an already glittering cabinet. Their last title win was in 2020, and since then, they have been striving to reclaim their dominance. Not to forget, MI are known for their tendency to start, building momentum as the tournament progresses. Last season was the example of this pattern.

After a shaky beginning with one win in their first five games, they staged a remarkable turnaround. A streak of six consecutive victories powered them into the playoffs. However, their run was cut short in Qualifier 2, losing to Punjab Kings. Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, Mumbai have a strong squad. Veterans and match-winners like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah, alongside the promising Tilak Varma, form the backbone of the squad. 

Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders enter the tournament under enormous pressure. After winning the title in 2024, their campaign in 2025 took a jit, as they slumped to an eighth-place finish with only five wins. Heading into IPL 2026, they have made changes, bringing in Abhishek Nayar as head coach. Ajinkya Rahane will continue to lead the side, with Rinku Singh serving as his deputy. Meanwhile, KKR's preparations have been disrupted by a string of injuries.

Their main players like Harshit Rana and Akash Deep have been ruled out, while Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana continues to recover from a calf injury. Now, in the bowling department, a lot will now depend on Blessing Muzarabani. Their other bowlers Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Navdeep Saini, and Umran Malik will be expected to rise to the occasion.

Head-to-head

Matches - 35

MI won - 24

KKR won - 11

MI possible XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Hardik Pandya (C), Rajangad Bawa, Will Jacks, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande

KKR possible XI: Finn Allen (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Blessing Muzarabani