Hardik Pandya, captain of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026, gifted his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma a luxury Mercedes-Benz V-Class car, touted as India’s first of its kind. The vehicle, valued at approximately ₹1.7 crore, marks a lavish gesture from the star all-rounder. Having made their relationship public in October 2025, Mahieka has frequently accompanied Pandya to public events and stadiums, including celebrations after India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On the field, Pandya’s Mumbai Indians got off to a flying start in the IPL 2026 opener against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing 221, MI openers Ryan Rickelton (81 off 43 balls) and Rohit Sharma (78 off 38 balls) shared a breezy 148-run opening stand off just 71 balls, handing MI a comfortable six-wicket win and their first opening-match victory in 13 seasons. The chase was completed in 19.1 overs, making it a record successful run chase for MI at their home ground. While Rickelton struck four boundaries and eight sixes, Rohit’s innings included six fours and six maximums. Earlier, KKR’s skipper Ajinkya Rahane (67) and debutant Angkrish Raghuvanshi (51) had laid the foundation for a par total of 220 for 4. Shardul Thakur was the pick of MI’s bowlers, claiming 3 for 39, while senior pacers Trent Boult (0/38) and Jasprit Bumrah (0/35) went wicketless, though Bumrah’s final overs kept KKR from crossing 250.KKR had stormed to 100 inside eight overs, with Rahane looking set for a big score before Thakur’s strikes broke the momentum.
