For the last 18 seasons, the summer extravaganza arrives in a grand fashion every year. For children and adults, the IPL 2026 has officially arrived. Evenings feel different, Paltan gears up wearing their Blue and Gold jersey, conversations on one’s favourite player kicks off over chai and missal pav. Calendar dates are marked; priorities are crystal clear… It is time to head to Wankhede! 🕢

Ordinary nights are turned into extraordinary memories as our MI superheroes take the field. Every game unfolds differently, with a story to tell. Our life runs on match timings rather than the clock; everyone rushes home from work earlier than usual, just to catch all the live action. 5…4…3…2…1… the umpire calls out-PLAY and goosebumps are felt 🥹. For these two months, everyone laughs, celebrates together, while on the other end heartrates bounce up and down. The noise is loud, echoing across stadiums, stands, cities and in front of television sets.

The points table starts from zero, the scoreboard is blank and the Mumbai Indians know what it takes to reach the top. The team comes together in a tight huddle and as for fans, match day rituals begin…the same superstitions somehow feel like they matter for the team’s success. When MI begins their campaign, it is an emotion that takes over. 💙

That’s great, tell me Mumbai Indians’ schedule

Right, here goes, mark your calendars.

What’s all the fuss about the first game voodoo?

So believe it or not, Mumbai Indians haven’t won their first match of the IPL season since 2012. It’s a 13-year-long jinx we are out to break now. Even our Head Coach, Mahela Jayawardene, called it the elephant in the room. We are facing KKR first up, a team we have a wonderful record against, at home, a well-documented fortress. Maybe the stars are aligning.

What’s new at MI this year?

So Quinny is back. The star in Mumbai Indians’ title wins from 2019 and 2020 is now back in the Blue and Gold threads. True blue Mumbai boy Shardul Thakur, who was once a net bowler with MI back in 2010, has been traded in from LSG, as have former MI stars, Mayank Markande and Sherfane Rutherford. Mumbai boy Atharva Ankolekar, Bihar left-arm seamer, Mohammad Izhar, Delhi all-rounder, Mayank Rawat and Vidarbha batter, Danish Malewar were bought at the Auction. We have retained a large chunk of our core from the 2025 season, and there’s a nice dash of new to the familiar.

Cannot wait, Paltan? Same feels!! 👊🙌