Rohit Sharma was yet to be appointed as captain of the Mumbai Indians when the franchise last won its opening match of an Indian Premier League season. Yes, back in 2012, MI, the five-time champions, were yet to get off the mark, with their best show being a runner-up finish in 2012. It took 14 long years, but MI, who went over a decade losing the first match of every season, finally broke the curse. They began the IPL 2026 with a sensational six-wicket win over three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Also Read: Mahela Jayawardene breaks silence on playing Suryakumar Yadav as impact player
Rohit was at the forefront of MI’s rise as an IPL powerhouse, leading them to wins in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. But while they went over the finish lines and are on the lookout for a record-extending sixth title, the heartbreak of always losing the first match of the season lingered… until last night, when MI played a dominating brand of cricket and laid the burden to rest.
After the match, for Rohit, the star of the show who scored 78 off 38 and emerged as the top scorer, winning MI’s IPL 2026 opener was a huge monkey off his back. As Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani addressed the winning dressing room, presenting a badge to the Hitman, Rohit reflected on what it meant to finally break the jinx.
What Rohit told the dressing room
“Well done, boys. This is something that we have wanted for the last 13 years. We’ve been talking about it. Now the ball is in our court. We decided what we have to do with it; it’s up to each one of us. So, head straight, feet on the ground. Let’s keep moving,” a pumped Rohit told his teammates.
Rohit sparkled with a breathtaking innings. That he started with a fifty bodes well for MI, who have been backed to win the IPL by several greats. Rohit smashed six fours and six sixes during his stay in the middle, and along with Ryan Rickelton, provided a smashing start to the chase of 221, adding 148 for the opening wicket.
It was the sixth time Mumbai Indians chased down 200-plus in the IPL, extending their dominant record over Kolkata Knight Riders to 25-11, including an 11th win at this venue.
