The return of Rohit Sharma proved decisive as Mumbai Indians bounced back in IPL 2026 after a string of defeats to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Rohit, returning after three weeks out due to a hamstring injury, struck form immediately. He built a 143-run opening partnership with Ryan Rickelton to set the tone for Mumbai Indians’ run chase against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

After three weeks on the sidelines nursing a hamstring injury, Rohit Sharma made a grand return to IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Rohit wasted little time reminding everyone of his class, producing 84 off 44 balls (6×4, 7×6) to breathe life back into Mumbai Indians’ flickering playoff hopes and script a commanding six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants.

The road to the IPL 2026 playoffs may seem distant for Lucknow Super Giants, which sits at the bottom of the table.

However, bowling coach Bharat Arun believes all is not lost yet. “There is light at the end of the tunnel. For us, there’s no other way. Every game is a knockout for us right from here,” Arun said.

In a tournament as long as the Indian Premier League, a franchise’s opening fixture isn’t necessarily indicative of how the season will transpire. At this early stage, there is plenty of room for lessons to be gleaned, plans to be fine-tuned and combinations to be tweaked.

That said, a win to begin proceedings certainly settles the nerves and spreads positive vibes. Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, which will meet at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Saturday afternoon, will attest after victories in their opening fixtures.

While DC overcame a jittery start to a chase of 142 to register a six-wicket win against Lucknow Super Giants, Hardik Pandya’s men never looked in strife in pursuit of 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

For the five-time champion, a leaner and fitter Rohit Sharma was in full flow against KKR, scoring 78 and stitching together an opening stand of 148 runs with Ryan Rickelton. With the 38-year-old’s involvement at the international level confined to the 50-over format, he was available for the entirety of MI’s pre-season preparations this time.

“He joined us on day one of our camp. We did a lot of simulations, we had quite a few practice matches that we played, so he was part of all that. The hand speed was pretty good,” said MI coach Mahela Jayawardene on Friday.

In marked contrast to MI’s opening pair, DC’s top-order appeared shaky at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. If Capitals still emerged unscathed, it was owing to Sameer Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs forging a fine alliance from 26 for four.

The surface for Saturday’s fixture is expected to be full of runs. Jayawardene sees it as par for the course in the early part of the campaign. “The wickets will get slower as the season progresses. You have to let that natural process happen and not worry too much about the first few games,” he said.

The last time India played an ODI at the Holkar Stadium in September 2023, the batters stole the show. Shubman Gill’s 104 and Shreyas Iyer’s 105 propelled the home side to 399 for five as Australia was demolished by 99 runs (via DLS method), underlining the venue’s reputation as a batting paradise.

Come Sunday (January 18, 2026), India will hope for a similar script. Gill, now captain, and Shreyas, returning after a serious injury, will be central to the hosts’ plans in the decider against a confident New Zealand.

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The series has been a tight one. In the opener at Vadodara, Virat Kohli’s well-crafted 93 ensured India crossed the line. However, the contest exposed the frailties in the Men in Blue’s bowling department as the Black Caps posted 300 for eight. Seasoned spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav have failed to find their rhythm. Given the tweaker’s inability to strike, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh could be included for the crucial encounter.

In the Rajkot game, the Kiwi bowlers maintained impeccable lines and lengths after the visitors opted to field first. Medium-pacer Kristian Clarke ran through the top-order, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Kohli and Shreyas before skipper Michael Bracewell and left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox applied pressure in the middle overs. Bracewell and Lennox’s combined spell (20-1-76-2) strangled India and K.L. Rahul’s unbeaten 112 was the silver lining as Gill’s men finished with 284 for seven.

With the conditions easing under lights, Will Young’s fluent 87 and Daryl Mitchell’s sensational unbeaten knock of 131 powered the Kiwis home with seven wickets and 15 balls to spare.

Confident bunch

The manner in which the Black Caps have made runs will boost their confidence heading into the decider as they seek their first ODI series win on Indian soil. On the other hand, if the hosts get their act together, another home series win is possible. With the Indore surface promising a run-fest, a thrilling finale is on the cards.

The teams:

India: Shubman Gill (Capt.), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-capt.), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ayush Badoni.

New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (Capt.), Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, and Will Young.

Match starts at 1.30 p.m.

It is a face-off between the top two teams in the ICC ODI rankings. It is also a repeat of the Champions Trophy final.

Not too long ago, a three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand would have been among the most anticipated contests on the international calendar.

But in a T20-driven cricketing landscape, ODIs have struggled for relevance. With the countdown to the Men’s T20 World Cup already underway, bilateral ODI series are no longer accorded the same significance. In fact, they are often weighed almost on par with domestic performances when it comes to Test selection across the globe.

Also Read | IND vs NZ ODI: Siraj makes comeback in ODI squad, Gaikwad and Jurel dropped

Still, there is more to India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand, beginning on Sunday (January 11, 2026), than just the Ro-Ko euphoria.

For starters, both the captain and vice-captain (Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer) are returning from injury layoffs.

They will have points to prove after being overlooked for the T20 World Cup. Gill missed out at the last minute despite being the T20I vice-captain in the lead-up, while Shreyas has increasingly been bracketed as an ODI specialist over the past couple of years.

Unsurprisingly, the duo was among the seven batters who had an extended workout at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Gill missed the remainder of the South Africa tour after suffering a neck spasm in the series opener, while the Mumbaikar is set to return after recovering from an abdominal tear sustained in Australia last October. Both will be eager to make an impact as men’s international cricket returns to Vadodara after a 15-year hiatus.

Besides Gill and Shreyas, Mohammed Siraj will also be keen to find his rhythm after being rested for the South Africa series. While Virat Kohli took it easy alongside the bowlers, Rohit Sharma turned up for a brief batting session. Rishabh Pant, who took a blow to the abdomen during net practice, will be hoping to get an opportunity at some stage during the series.

While India will look to maintain its formidable home record, New Zealand will rely heavily on youth. With Mitchell Santner set to join the squad for the subsequent T20I series, all-rounder Michael Bracewell will lead an inexperienced side.

Seasoned campaigners such as Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell and Kyle Jamieson will need to guide the group if the visitors are to challenge an ODI powerhouse on its own turf. Pacer Kristian Clarke is expected to make his international debut on Sunday.

The teams (from): India: Shubman Gill (Capt.), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-capt.), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (Capt.), Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae and Will Young.

Match starts at 1.30 p.m.

Suryakumar Yadav, who will lead India’s T20 World Cup title defence in less than three months, made no attempt to hide the opponent he hopes to meet in the final of the 2026 edition.

“Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Australia,” he said with a smile when asked about India’s potential final opponent moments after the tournament schedule was unveiled on Tuesday (November 25, 2025).

Suryakumar was part of the Indian team that lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia at the same venue. He did not elaborate, but the packed auditorium sensed the lingering sting of that defeat.

Harmanpreet Kaur, who recently guided India to its maiden Women’s ODI World Cup title, agreed instantly.

“Australia is the only team we all want to beat. That game always stays with you. So that is the final (I want to watch),” she said.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain and now the Brand Ambassador of the 2026 edition, hoped the team focuses on staying composed regardless of the opposition.

“Whoever comes, the team should remain relaxed and calm. They should win without pressure. World Cups are rare — just enjoy the moment,” Rohit said, laughing that he sounded “like a mental coach”.

The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup will be held from February 7 to March 8, across eight venues — five in India (Delhi; Kolkata; Chennai; Mumbai; Ahmedabad) and three in Sri Lanka (SSC, Colombo; Premadasa, Colombo; Kandy).

Bengaluru — which missed out on the Women’s World Cup earlier due to restrictions following the stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration — was once again excluded as the State government is yet to approve public gatherings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The Wankhede Stadium will host the second semifinal, while the Narendra Modi Stadium will stage the final unless Pakistan qualifies.

India’s full schedule

India vs USA (Mumbai) – February 7

India vs Namibia (Delhi) – February 12

India vs Pakistan (Colombo) – February 15

India vs Netherlands (Ahmedabad) – February 18

Groups

Group A : India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia

Group B : Australia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Oman

Group C : England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy

Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

Venues

India: Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai

Sri Lanka: Colombo (R. Premadasa Stadium and Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground), Kandy

* Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven’t made it easy for the selectors. Had they failed in Australia, Ajit Agarkar and company would have found it easier to say: sorry folks, it’s time to go. Had only one of them succeeded, the pressure on the other to quit would have been greater. Alternatively, it might have extended his career. After all, the selectors might take a chance with one of them for World Cup 2027, but both?

While the country celebrated the Sydney ODI win and the manner in which the veterans — Rohit is 38, Kohli turns 37 in a few days — recaptured the past, the selectors were given a conundrum. It is not something they have to solve immediately, but they will have to handle it with no loss of dignity either to themselves or the two stalwarts.

Very few Indian players have been allowed the luxury of choosing their time and place of departure. Sachin Tendulkar was given a send-off others can only dream of, with the whole country coming to a standstill, and with carefully chosen visitors — the West Indies — as sacrificial lambs.

When announcing his retirement from One-Day Internationals earlier, Tendulkar had said, “I feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup-winning Indian team.”

Missing out

That was a dream denied Rohit Sharma when, at 24, he was not picked for the 2011 World Cup at home. The selectors preferred an extra bowler, Piyush Chawla. Kohli was in the triumphant team and helped carry Tendulkar around the stadium after the win. In 2023, again at home, Rohit was now captain and India looked likely winners till they lost to Australia in the final. So there’s a bit of unfinished business in his case.

The World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia commences in October, which means a five-month break after the IPL for the two players. Like they did with Test cricket and Tendulkar, India’s cricket board might decide to have a couple of unscheduled ODI series just to ensure the stalwarts keep in touch. That is if they are ruled by such things as public sentiment.

A better way might be to tell Rohit and Kohli privately that they will be a) picked, regardless of what happens or b) not picked, regardless of what happens. Selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar’s term ends in June next year. But he has been given one extension, and could be given another. The key man here is likely to be coach Gautam Gambhir. And possibly skipper Shubman Gill too. Rohit missed out on 2011 because of the then captain M.S. Dhoni’s insistence on choosing the leg spinner; ironically, another captain could see him play in 2027.

The World Cup is a good two years away, and all speculation at this stage might be futile. Such things as form, fitness, motivation, team balance closer to the event will decide. But the fact that the bulk of the tournament is being played in South Africa suggests that experience could be vital.

The Sydney performances might be classified under ‘swallows and summers’. A single one of the former does not prove the existence of the latter. India knew their target; Rohit could return to his earlier manner of getting comfortable before launching an attack and Kohli felt at home chasing. He averages 65 in chases with 28 centuries. Where he has remained unbeaten, India have won 51 of 52 chases.

Need for match practice

While both stalwarts looked out of sorts in the first ODI in Australia, and Rohit did at the start of the second before getting a 70-plus (while Kohli looked strangely under-confident), it might have had to do with lack of acclimatisation. This applies to the team in general. Modern teams do not believe in getting used to conditions while playing abroad. Here was indication that the Indian team ought to give themselves sufficient match practice in South Africa ahead of the World Cup.

Whatever happens between now and then, the Rohit-Kohli question will continue to loom. Two of the greatest players in the format will have to keep proving themselves afresh. Painful? Necessary? Match results (there are 21 ODI till the end of next year) then become less important than the subtext of the contests.