IPL 2026: Is Hardik Pandya playing in KKR vs MI Match 65?

As the two captains walked out for toss in Match 65 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI), fans wondered whether it was Hardik Pandya who had to call it at the coin flip at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday, May 20, since the MI mainstay captain had missed the last three games owing to a back spasm.

KKR vs MI: Toss update

The toss went in favour of KKR captain, Ajinkya Rahane, who revealed his team’s decision to field first at the venue where the pitch assists better for batting in the second innings. Once the cracks of the pitch open up, the surface in Kolkata is expected to become easier for a run chase. As a result, the hosts asked Mumbai to set a target for them in this night fixture.

KKR vs MI: Hardik back as leader as MI make two changes

In a development that sounds sweet, Hardik is finally back to lead Mumbai once again, having missed out the preceding encounters due to an injury. This also means that MI’s medical team has given him the full fitness clearance. As Hardik came in, all-rounder Corbin Bosch had to sit out, while AM Ghazanfar also came into the line-up to deliver his leg-spinners. KKR, meanwhile, kept their winning combination intact.

KKR vs MI: What did the captains say?

Ajinkya Rahane, KKR captain,

“We are looking to bowl first. (They need two wins out of two) Yes, absolutely. It’s as simple as that. We just want to focus on this game. We played really good cricket overall last game against GT. As you’ve mentioned, we need to win two out of two, but staying in the moment, playing good cricket over the course of 40 overs, it’s really important.

“(See-saw season) Yeah, I think the first half of the tournament, there were moments that we could have capitalized and the things could have been different, but again, no complaints, no regrets. The way we came back, the way we pulled off things, and the confidence amongst the group was amazing. The atmosphere in the dressing room was really good. It’s always about the comeback. It’s always about being in the moment and how can you come back, how can you do well for the team. And guys have been fantastic.

“(About the pitch) It’s frankly tough to read the wicket, but as I said, we need to play good cricket throughout 40 overs, and then see what happens. We are going with the same team.”

Hardik Pandya, MI captain,

“We would have bowled first as well. Looks like a track which has been under the covers. Just wanted to see how exactly it plays out. (Playing for pride) Absolutely. Every game you play, you want to win. You want to play your best cricket, put the best foot forward. At the same point of time, Mumbai Indians have a long history of winning titles.

“So just want to make sure that we keep the head high and make sure that we represent Mumbai Indians in the best capacity. (Good record here) Yes, but that’s in the past. We still need to turn up, play some good cricket and enjoy. (Changes?) I’m back. Ghaza is back and I think, yeah, just two changes.”

KKR vs MI: Playing XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders

Ajinkya Rahane(c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Cameron Green, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Kartik Tyagi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Saurabh Dubey

Impact Substitutes: Finn Allen, Vaibhav Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya, Rahul Tripathi

Mumbai Indians

Ryan Rickelton (wk), Rohit Sharma(w), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Will Jacks, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Raghu Sharma

Impact Substitutes: Shardul Thakur, Mayank Rawat, Robin Minz, Krish Bhagat, AM Ghazanfar