Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur
Raipur, May 11: Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off a stunning last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians in a thrilling encounter at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Sunday, knocking Mumbai out of the Indian Premier League 2026 season with a dramatic two-wicket triumph.
Chasing a challenging target of 167 on a difficult batting surface, Bengaluru survived a dramatic collapse before holding their composure in the final over to complete one of the most memorable finishes of the season. The victory was built around a gritty 73-run knock from Krunal Pandya and a nerveless late cameo by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
RCB’s chase got off to a disastrous start when Deepak Chahar removed Virat Kohli for a golden duck in the opening over. Devdutt Padikkal soon followed back to the pavilion as Mumbai reduced Bengaluru to 24/2. The pressure intensified when Corbin Bosch dismissed skipper Rajat Patidar, leaving RCB struggling at 47/3 at the end of the powerplay.
With Jasprit Bumrah bowling with precision and Bosch extracting uneven bounce from the sluggish pitch, Mumbai appeared firmly in control. Jacob Bethell attempted to rebuild the innings with a steady 27, but it was Krunal Pandya who completely changed the momentum of the contest.
Krunal weathered the early pressure before taking on Mumbai’s spinners with calculated aggression. He swept confidently against Will Jacks and AM Ghazanfar, while targeting the straight boundaries with authority. A towering six over long-on against Ghazanfar brought up a crucial partnership with Bethell and revived RCB’s chase.
Despite wickets falling regularly at the other end, Krunal kept Bengaluru alive almost single-handedly. Battling cramps during the closing overs, he repeatedly dropped to the ground between deliveries but continued attacking the bowlers under immense pressure.
Mumbai fought back brilliantly through Bosch, who delivered a sensational spell of 4/26. He removed Bethell in a wicket-maiden over before dismissing Jitesh Sharma and Tim David off consecutive deliveries. Bumrah then bowled a superb penultimate over, conceding only three runs and leaving RCB needing 15 runs from the final over.
The last six balls produced pure drama. Raj Bawa started with a wide and then bowled a no-ball, briefly easing the pressure on Bengaluru. However, he quickly struck back by dismissing Romario Shepherd, pushing RCB close to defeat.
With the match slipping away, Bhuvneshwar Kumar walked in and produced the defining moment of the night. After surviving a short delivery, he smashed Raj Bawa over deep cover for a crucial six that swung the contest back in Bengaluru’s favour. He then calmly rotated the strike, leaving two runs required from the final ball.
Rasikh Salam Dar drove the last delivery past the bowler and sprinted back desperately for the winning second run, diving home safely as RCB players erupted in celebration.
Earlier, Mumbai Indians had recovered from a poor start to post 166/7, thanks largely to a composed half-century from Tilak Varma, who scored 57 off 42 deliveries. Naman Dhir provided valuable support with a fighting 47-run knock.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar starred with the ball as well, dismantling Mumbai’s top order by dismissing Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav during a superb new-ball spell. He finished with outstanding figures of 4/23, helping restrict Mumbai to a chaseable total on a difficult pitch.
In the end, Bengaluru’s resilience, Krunal Pandya’s heroic innings, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s all-round brilliance combined to produce a memorable victory that ended Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 campaign in heartbreaking fashion.