ESA 2026 By The Numbers: Hope, Inclusion And 20,000 Dreams To Take Centerstage At Wankhede

Reliance Foundation and Mumbai Indians will turn the Wankhede Stadium into a giant classroom of hope on May 24, when nearly 20,000 children from underserved communities across Maharashtra and Gujarat attend the IPL clash between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals as part of the annual Education and Sports for All (ESA) initiative.

Now in its 16th year, ESA has evolved into one of the IPL’s longest-running and most visible social impact programmes, with the entire matchday dedicated exclusively to children. No tickets are sold for the fixture, transforming one of cricket’s most iconic venues into a celebration of inclusion, aspiration and access.

Conceptualised by Mrs Nita M. Ambani under the Reliance Foundation banner, the initiative began in 2010

as Education for All (EFA) before evolving into Education and Sports for All in 2018, reflecting the Foundation’s growing emphasis on sport as a catalyst for social development.

For many attending children, the ESA match will mark a series of firsts – their first trip outside their village, first visit to Mumbai, first time inside a stadium and first opportunity to watch elite cricketers live.

This year’s edition will also significantly expand the initiative’s inclusion footprint. More than 200 specially-abled children will attend the game, including 95 visually impaired children from the National Association for the Blind (India), accompanied by 35 hearing buddies. Organisers say it is the first time visually impaired children will be integrated into the ESA stadium experience at this scale.

Children attending the match will travel from Mumbai as well as tribal and rural regions including Satara, Nashik, Igatpuri, Valsad and Udwada. More than 40 NGO partners are involved in mobilising participants for the event.

Here are some incredible numbers from ESA

• More than 500 BEST and private buses will transport children across Mumbai and Maharashtra
• Over 2,000 volunteers, including Reliance employees and NGO staff, will be deployed on-ground
• More than 100,000 food boxes, snacks and beverages will be distributed
• Around 300 traffic personnel and 650 police officers will coordinate security and movement logistics
• Over 29 million children and youth from across 28 states through education, grassroots sports and holistic development interventions impacted.
• 200+ specially-abled children to attend ESA 2026
• 95 children from National Association for the Blind (India), paired with 35 hearing buddies

MI’s Favourite Matchday

Speaking previously on ESA Day, Mrs Nita M. Ambani had described the initiative as Mumbai Indians’ “favourite matchday” of the IPL season.

“This is not just a match. It is a celebration of hope, of dreams and of joy,” Nita said. “For most of them, this is the first time in a stadium to see a live match. It is really overwhelming to see how the children are enjoying themselves.”

She also linked the initiative to the journeys of several Indian cricketers who emerged from modest socio-economic backgrounds.

“Many of the boys that play for Mumbai Indians and for India come from very humble backgrounds. This is also an inspiration for them that they can dream and be what they want to be,” she said.

Over the years, ESA has increasingly become central to MI’s #OneFamily identity, blending cricket fandom with social outreach.

The initiative has grown alongside Reliance Foundation’s expanding sports ecosystem, which includes Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS), grassroots football development programmes, school cricket tournaments and scholarship initiatives.

This year’s ESA fixture which will also be MI’s final match of IPL 2026 is expected to once again place sport at the centre of a larger social conversation around inclusion, aspiration and access for children from underserved communities.