Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has named Mumbai Indians as the favourites for their opening game in IPL 2026 against the Kolkata Knight Riders.Â
The five-time champions have not won their opening game of the season since 2012. They finished the 2025 season in the playoffs, being beaten by the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2. Chasing their sixth title, they will look to get underway strongly, by breaking history.
Pathan believes Mumbai have the edge with the return of Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian speedster joined the squad late after checking in at the BCCI Centre for Excellence for workload management. The ace quick was India’s best bowler in the 2026 T20 World Cup and is slated to play MI’s opening fixture.
“MI and KKR lost both their opening games last season. But I think things will change and Mumbai will have an upper hand this time. The biggest reason is the return of Bumrah. In the last two seasons, Bumrah was not there at the start. This time he will be there. You also have five strong leaders in your ranks and also World Cup winners. That form and confidence, Mumbai will need to ride on that and I feel their campaign will be great,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Pathan also stated that former Indian captain Rohit Sharma should be used on the field in this season. Rohit featured as an impact player in 2025, coming in to bat and not taking the field. He believes the Mumbai player’s experience would be vital for the five-time champions.
“I feel it is very important for Rohit to be on the field. He is a lot fitter now and they will expect him to score runs again. How Virat has been scoring and stays on the field as well, it will help Rohit’s batting the more he stays involved on the field. The captain who has won five trophies, Mumbai should make use him being on the field,” he stated.
