Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders begin their IPL 2026 campaigns with a blockbuster clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. New season mean there are a lot of new faces with 3 debutants for Mumbai Indians, and as many as 4 for KKR. Among those, AM Ghazanfar and Finn Allen will be playing their first ever games in IPL history.
Mumbai Indians Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markande, AM Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Finn Allen, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Blessing Muzarabani
AM Ghazanfar
Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is a young Afghan cricketer who has quickly gained attention as a promising off-spin bowler. Known for his control, sharp turn, and maturity beyond his age, he has impressed in domestic and international appearances for Afghanistan national cricket team. His talent earned him a spot in the Mumbai Indians squad in the Indian Premier League, where he is seen as a future prospect. Ghazanfar has played for MI's sister franchises overseas, and has played in all three formats of the game.
Finn Allen
Finn Allen is an explosive New Zealand opening batter known for his fearless power-hitting in T20 cricket. He rose to global prominence during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, where his sensational semi-final innings became one of the tournament’s defining moments. Allen smashed a record-breaking unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls—the fastest century in T20 World Cup history—to guide New Zealand into the final, showcasing his ability to dominate world-class bowling attacks.
