‘Take the lead and let others follow you’ – Former India coach makes huge claim ahead of MI vs KKR clash

Mumbai Indians (MI) will begin their campaign in IPL 2026 with a clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, March 29. The five-time champions were ousted in Qualifier 2 by the Punjab Kings last season in the IPL. They will look to go the distance in the 19th edition of the cash-rich league.

Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar urged Hardik Pandya and Co. to start the campaign strongly instead of scrambling at the back end of the league phase. Mumbai have been known to be a slow starter over the years.

Bangar believes that Mumbai could start their campaign with a win, as they have a fantastic head-to-head record against the Knights. In 35 meetings between the multiple-time champions, MI have won 24, whereas KKR have emerged victorious on only 11 occasions.

“MI would definitely want to start on a winning note because they have been slow starters traditionally. They will not want to be in a similar situation. Last year also, they had a turnaround after five or six matches following a poor start. So, you don’t want to leave it so late,” Bangar said while speaking on JioStar’s ‘TATA IPL: Schedule Announcement’.

“Teams always talk about making a statement start, like Royal Challengers Bengaluru had last year. Take the lead and let others follow you. MI would want to have something like that this season because it has been a long title drought, which has now stretched to over five years. So, MI would be keen to change that, and with their in-form Indian players, you would want to start with a win against Kolkata Knight Riders,” he added.

Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Will Jacks are some of the in-form players who did well in the 2026 T20 World Cup. On the other hand, it will be interesting to see if KKR opens with the Kiwi duo of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, who were excellent during the marquee event.