20 May,2026 04:25 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Crowd supporting Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium (Pic: MI)
The Reliance Foundation and Mumbai Indians are gearing up for their annual celebration of youth development, as approximately 20,000 children are invited to watch the team's final home game of the IPL 2026 season at the Wankhede Stadium on May 24. The event is part of the "Education and Sports for All" (ESA) flagship initiative.
Speaking ahead of the special ESA Match Day, former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma said, "We want to make sure that the 20,000 kids go back smiling and happy, having witnessed something special at the Wankhede Stadium," according to a press release.
Beyond the excitement of the game itself, ESA Match Day serves as a transformative experience for thousands of children. By providing a rare opportunity that many only dream of, the initiative leverages the impact of sports and education to inspire young fans and create lifelong memories.
Launched in 2010, the ESA initiative has expanded significantly from its initial footprint. The program now engages with over 21.5 million children across India by partnering with various non-governmental organisations to deliver year-round sports development and educational support.
Driven by the core belief that every child deserves the right to learn and play, the initiative continues to invest in grass-roots development by upgrading local sports infrastructure, providing equipment, and delivering specialised coaching across multiple athletic disciplines to ensure young children have equitable opportunities to excel.
The five-time champions, captained by Hardik Pandya, have already been eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoff race, registering four victories and eight defeats across their 12 outings. Before returning to Mumbai for their final league assignment on May 24, the team travels to Eden Gardens to face the Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday.
Despite a difficult team campaign, individual performances have provided some bright spots for the franchise.
Opening batter Ryan Rickelton has led the scoring charts for Mumbai Indians, amassing 430 runs across 10 appearances. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has returned strongly following a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for five games between April 12 and May 4. The veteran opener has accumulated 268 runs in seven innings, maintaining an average of 44.67 and an impressive strike rate of 164.42.
(With ANI inputs)
