IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians’ strongest predicted XI against Kolkata Knight Riders

The Mumbai Indians head to Eden Gardens to take on the Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 65 of the 2026 Indian Premier League.

The five-time champions have had a disappointing season, sitting in ninth place on the table with eight points in 12 games. They have been eliminated from the competition and will be looking to finish their season on a high note.

They take on the Knight Riders, who they beat in their opening match of the season, breaking a 14-year record. They have a 25-11 lead in the head-to-head against the Men in Purple and have a 7-3 lead in games played at the Eden Gardens between the two teams. 

Here is MI’s predicted XI vs KKR in Match 65 of IPL 2026:

Top order: Rohit Sharma (Impact), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Naman Dhir

Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton have been one of the most exciting opening pairs to watch in the 2026 IPL. With two massive 140-plus run stands among them, they have shown brilliant displays of hitting at their best. Rohit missed five games of the season with a hamstring injury but has looked revitalised in 2026, scoring 268 runs at a strike rate of 164.41 in seven games. Rickelton has been MI’s best batter, scoring 430 runs at a blistering strike rate of 190.26, including his first IPL century against SRH

Naman Dhir has been a revelation when stepping up at number 3 as a reliable pace-hitter. He has played vital knocks for the five-time champions throughout the season. He has scored 312 runs at a strike rate of 150, which includes two half-century scores. 

Middle order: Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, Hardik Pandya (c)

Suryakumar Yadav’s form has been a major point of concern for MI in 2026. He followed up a 700-run season in 2025, which saw him win the Most Valuable Player award, with just 195 runs at a strike rate of 144.44. India’s 2026 T20 World Cup-winning skipper has been vital to MI’s success over the years, and his dismal season with the bat has been a key factor in the team’s poor performances. Tilak Varma has not had a season up to his lofty standards but has stepped up in crucial moments with crunch knocks. He scored an unbeaten 33-ball 75 against the Kings, which helped them chase down the total of 201.

England all-rounder Will Jacks joined the squad late, but his addition has added a reliable batting option at number 6. He scored a 10-ball 25, which gave support to Tilak towards the end of MI’s chase in Dharamshala, and has stepped up with overs with the ball. Skipper Hardik Pandya is expected to make his return to the team after missing the last three games with a back spasm. 

Lower order/bowlers Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, AM Ghazanfar, Jasprit Bumrah, Raghu Sharma 

Deepak Chahar has been a brilliant bowler with the new ball, picking up key wickets in the powerplay against RCB and PBKS. He has also looked much improved in the death overs, bowling with control and accuracy. Shardul Thakur returned to the side against the Kings, picking up match figures of 4 for 39, which dented their batting innings.  

AM Ghazanfar has been one of the bright spots of MI’s otherwise dismal season. The Afghan mystery spinner has been a key strike bowler, picking up 13 wickets in nine matches. He missed out against the Kings due to team combinations but is expected to slot back into the side. Jasprit Bumrah has had an off-season of sorts, picking up just three wickets in the 12 games he played. He led the team for the first time against the Kings and saw them emerge victorious. He has still been difficult to play off, bowling at an economy of 8.53. Raghu Sharma, the leg-spinner from Punjab, is expected to slot in due to the spin-friendly nature of the Eden Gardens pitch.

MI Strongest Predicted XI for Match 65 vs KKR: 

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

Impact Player: Rohit Sharma