India, March 30 -- Rohit Sharma was yet to be appointed as captain of the Mumbai Indians when the franchise last won its opening match of an Indian Premier League season. Yes, back in 2012, MI, the five-time champions, were yet to get off the mark, with their best show being a runner-up finish in 2012. It took 14 long years, but MI, who went over a decade losing the first match of every season, finally broke the curse. They began the IPL 2026 with a sensational six-wicket win over three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

Rohit was at the forefront of MI's rise as an IPL powerhouse, leading them to wins in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. But while they went over the finish lines and are on the lookout for ...