Mumbai: Ahead of the first match of IPL-2026 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night, mumbai indians There’s good reason to cheer, but also some mild concern.MI head coach at pre-match press conference at Wankhede Mahela Jayewardene World cricket’s chief pacer confirmed Jasprit Bumrah Joined them in camp after returning from BCCI Center of Excellence, Bengaluru.“Jasi is back in the team; he is available to play,” the former Sri Lanka captain said. However, Mahela revealed that New Zealand left-arm spinner and T20 captain Mitchell Santner and England all-rounder will jacks An “extended break” was sought from the Military Intelligence Directorate and granted.“For the players that are coming in, obviously Mitch and Jacksy (Will Jacks) have asked for a little bit of a little bit of extension for personal reasons and we’re happy to accommodate that. But they will be joining the team very soon,” the head coach informed. Bumrah, Jacks and Santner were the notable absentees from MI’s mandatory training session, which took place two days before their first match at the Wankhede Stadium. After the T20 World Cup final loss to India on March 8, Santner captained New Zealand in the first three T20 matches against South Africa at home and was rested in the last two games. Jacks, meanwhile, was part of England’s semi-final defeat to India at the Wankhede Stadium and left India on a chartered flight shortly after. It is yet to be determined whether Santner or Jakes has arrived in India. Both players are important overseas options for MI.Bumrah has been at the CoE for the past five days, but those following developments insist it was not due to injury but a routine check-up to monitor his workload. With 14 wickets in 8 matches at 12.42 with an economy of 6.21, 4 best runs in 15 matches in the final against New Zealand, and some extremely crucial dying moments at the end of the 2026 T20 World Cup, Bumrah has left his mark in the tournament. MI hopes that the ‘King of Fast Bowlers’ will make early progress in IPL-2026.Let’s hope MI’s shocking first-match record continues: WatsonMeanwhile, MI, a perennially slow starter, will be keen to end their annual streak of losing the first match of the IPL when they take on KKR in the IPL season opener, with KKR’s new assistant coach Shane Watson hoping to capitalize on MI’s frequent missteps at the start of the season.“Well, let’s hope that the appalling record that MI had in the first game continues. Obviously, we are playing at the Wankhede Stadium… which is a fortress. Mumbai Indians are very difficult to beat here. I have experienced this both from a playing point of view and a coaching point of view, so you know we definitely have to be at our best against MI. They are always full of match-winners in every aspect, so let’s hope that the poor record that starts the match continues,” Watson said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.MI 2026 T20 World Cup hero India T20 captain Bumrah refreshed after enjoying ‘long break’, as Mahela says Suryakumar Yadavstar all-rounder and captain of MI Hardik PandyaTilak Varma will be eager to go.MI will hope that Suryakumar – the 35-year-old batsman who scored just 242 runs in 9 games at a strike rate of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72 and was dropped in the final – rediscovers his touch and repeat the consistency he showed in IPL-2025, when he scored 717 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 167.91, including five runs. The fifties.The five-time champions will also be pleased with the performance of their former captain and modern-day great Rohit Sharma Preparing for the championship. The 38-year-old, who is aiming to feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup in October-November next year, will be fully aware of how closely his performances will be tracked during IPL-2026. In fact, with Rohit’s fitness improving significantly over the past year, it seems MI will not be using the veteran batsman as an ‘impact player’ and will only bat and rest in the dugout for the remainder of the tournament.When asked if Rohit’s lack of T20 game time (he has not played a T20 match for 10 months since the second qualifier against Kings XI Punjab on June 1 last year) was an issue, Mahela praised the experienced batsman. “There’s been a transformation in Rohit. I’ve seen his commitment. He’s taken longer to work on his skills. It’s what he can control, what he can do and I’m very happy with what I’ve seen in practice and in the nets. Hand speed, technique, everything. Apart from this, he also has his own experience, having played in the IPL for 18 years. So I don’t have any problem with that. But this is a cricket match. We have to understand that and then go with that,” praised the MI head coach.It remains to be seen which of the two South African left-handers will start alongside Rohit – experienced batsman Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickton.
