Mumbai Indians have etched their name into the history books as soon as they took the field against Kolkata Knight Riders for their IPL 2026 opener at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, March 29. The five-time champions, who are looking to end their long wait for a trophy, have become the first franchise team to feature in 300 matches in T20 cricket.ย
The Hardik Pandya-led side achieved the feat during the clash against the 2024 champions KKR. Having previously featured in 299 matches across the IPL and the now-defunct CLT20, MI took theย field for their 300th match in Mumbai. They have played 278 matches in IPL and 22 in the CLT20.
Only two teams have played 300+ matches in T20s
While MI are the first-ever franchise-based team to feature in 300 matches, there are two teams that have breached the milestone previously in the T20 format. Pakistan have played 303 T20 games with 299 being T20I and four being T20 outings. The other team with over 300 matches in the format is Somerset, who have played 303 matches in the format. However, neither of these two teams is a franchise side, with Somerset being a county club.
Teams with most matches in T20 cricket:
1 – Pakistan: 303 matches
2 – Somerset: 303 matches
3 – Mumbai Indians: 300 matches*
4 – Hampshire: 296 matches
5 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 287 matches
MI win toss, opt to bowl at Wankhede
Coming to the match, MI won the toss and opted to bowl first, with the team skipper Hardik looking to make the most of the green conditions on offer from the pitch. “We are going to bowl. Looks like a good track, it appears greener than it used to be. Let’s see how it plays. This is our fortress, the crowd is behind us, and we’re looking to play a good game. We started a couple of weeks earlier, have plenty of experience and a mix of youth. Rohit, Surya, Mitchell Santner – so there’s no shortage of captains; I’m just excited to go out there and perform. We’re going with 6 batters and 5 bowlers,” Hardik said at the toss.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane stated that he also wanted to bat first before revealing his playing combination. “We were looking to bowl, never seen this amount of grass at Wankhede. Preparations have been good, couple of camps in Kolkata and in Mumbai as well. Know that MI is a champion team and we’re looking forward to be playing against them. Just stay at the moment and don’t look at the past. A couple of injuries – we’re going with 6 batters and 5 bowlers. Four overseas players – Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Sunil Narine and Blessing Muzarabani,”ย