Mumbai Indians (MI) are the perfect team to draw in your opening match. ‘That’s outrageous!’ One would say. How can a 5-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champion be the perfect side to face while opening your campaign? Well, the proof is in the pudding.
Mumbai Indians’ opening match curse
The last time Mumbai won an IPL opener, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was a 1-year-old. They have a woeful record, 13-5. For whatever reason, they can’t start with a victory. And guess what, it has worked for them just fine. The five times they’ve won an opener, they haven’t gone on to lift the trophy. When they haven’t, they have won five.
Mumbai Indians opening match record in IPL (every season)
| Season | Opposition | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Chennai Super Kings | Lost by 4 wickets | Chennai |
| 2024 | Gujarat Titans | Lost by 6 runs | Ahmedabad |
| 2023 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Lost by 8 wickets | Bengaluru |
| 2022 | Delhi Capitals | Lost by 4 wickets | Brabourne |
| 2021 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Lost by 2 wickets | Chennai |
| 2020 | Chennai Super Kings | Lost by 5 wickets | Abu Dhabi |
| 2019 | Delhi Capitals | Lost by 37 runs | Wankhede |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | Lost by 1 wicket | Wankhede |
| 2017 | Rising Pune Supergiant | Lost by 7 wickets | Pune |
| 2016 | Rising Pune Supergiant | Lost by 9 wickets | Wankhede |
| 2015 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lost by 7 wickets | Eden Gardens |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lost by 41 runs | Abu Dhabi |
| 2013 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Lost by 2 runs | Bengaluru |
| 2012 | Chennai Super Kings | Won by 8 wickets | Chennai |
| 2011 | Delhi Daredevils | Won by 8 wickets | Delhi |
| 2010 | Rajasthan Royals | Won by 4 runs | Mumbai |
| 2009 | Chennai Super Kings | Won by 19 runs | Cape Town |
| 2008 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Won by 5 wickets | Mumbai |
Sure, these early jitters aren’t great. But does it matter when you ultimately get hold of the prize? One would say not. It’s better to start with a loss than end with one. However, in the 2020s, Mumbai just hasn’t gotten the ball rolling way too often. They haven’t won 60% of their matches in the last 5 seasons. Finished last twice. That’s not what champion teams do.
Not reaching a final since 2020 isn’t great. They have 4 Indian captains on their roster: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and, of course, Hardik Pandya. Yet, nothing. These early jitters must end, especially when one considers that they aren’t picking up form at the back end of tournaments like they used to.
KKR, the perfect side to break it against?
In the IPL 2026, they’ll open their campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). By all metrics, they should win. KKR doesn’t have Harshit Rana or Mustafizur Rahman. Matheesha Pathirana isn’t confirmed to play; Andre Russell has retired, and Varun Chakaravarthy is out of form.
Historically, MI dominates KKR. They have a 24-11 head-to-head record. This improves to 11-2 when MI plays them at home. That happens again on March 29, as they face off at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. But the opening match curse strikes again. KKR and MI have played two openers, 2014 and 2015, and both times MI have lost.
Considering how depleted KKR are, who don’t even have a captain they can retain for perhaps even two more seasons, and how MI have utterly dominated them, especially at home, MI should end this opening match curse.
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