KKR vs MI Playing 11 and Toss News, IPL 2026: Hardik returns for Mumbai, Kolkata opt to bowl first

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane has won the toss and elected to bowl first against Mumbai Indians in their crucial IPL 2026 clash at Eden Gardens. Speaking at the toss, Rahane said KKR were looking to chase under the light. Hardik Pandya said his team will play fdor pride and look to finish strongly.

Hardik Pandya has officially returned for Mumbai Indians after missing the last three matches, with the all-rounder walking out for the toss ahead of the IPL 2026 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

(How have you found the different environments in the three franchises?) Yeah, no, I’ve been very lucky to be at three great franchises. I think, yeah, we’re an incredibly close unit here at KKR. I think that probably shows how we were able to turn it around. I think, yeah, obviously didn’t have the best first half of the comp, but we’ve really found something now and I think when your group gets along really well, that probably holds you in a really good stead. (Why did it take a while for the team and for yourself to get going this season?) I think Shane Watson made a really good point. I think he said we’ve got quite a few new guys for this team, so we didn’t quite know the right balance at the start of the comp. So it probably took us a bit too long to find it, but we’ve found it now and hopefully we can carry on in the next two games. (How confident are you going into this one with MI?) I think we’ve been playing great cricket the last, five or six games. So we’re in good form and hopefully that can continue.

Mumbai Indians have received a massive boost as both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were seen warming up at Eden Gardens shortly before the toss. The duo looked fully involved in the pre-match drills, indicating that both players are set to return to the MI playing XI tonight.

There was some concern around the weather at Eden Gardens earlier in the evening as the ground was completely under covers due to rain in Kolkata. However, the rain has stopped for now and all the covers have been removed from the playing area and square.

There was some concern over the weather, with rain hitting parts of Kolkata earlier in the evening. The weather currently remains cloudy around the stadium, but there is positive news as the rain has stopped for now and the covers have reportedly been taken off the ground.

“When people talk about one family, the atmosphere is always like that. All the captains have different tactics. I, actually, enjoyed playing under everyone. So, I wouldn’t say it was disturbing.”

Kolkata Knight Riders could suffer another major setback ahead of their must-win clash against Mumbai Indians, with doubts growing over the fitness of Varun Chakravarthy. The mystery spinner was reportedly seen limping during and after a light practice session before the game.

While the Mumbai Indians are already eliminated from the playoff race, the Kolkata Knight Riders still have an outside chance of making it into the top-four.

There remains major uncertainty over the availability of Matheesha Pathirana ahead of KKR vs MI clash at Eden Gardens. Pathirana suffered an injury after just eight balls into his debut appearance for KKR. He was reportedly not present during the team’s last two practice sessions and may miss out against MI.

KKR have kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a remarkable turnaround after a disastrous start to the season. They have responded strongly by winning most of their games in the second half of the season. Despite the impressive comeback, their playoff chances remain low. Even if they manage to win both of their remaining league matches, qualification is not guaranteed as their fate also depends on results of other teams and net run rate calculations.

There is good news for Mumbai Indians fans as both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are expected to return to the playing XI. Hardik had missed MI’s last few matches due to injury concerns, while stand-in skipper Suryakumar was unavailable because of personal reasons. In their absence, Jasprit Bumrah led the side.

Fans can watch the live telecast of the KKR vs MI match on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in India.

Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Mumbai Indians in this crucial IPL 2026 clash at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The match will begin at 7:30 PM IST and the toss will take place at 7:00 PM IST.