Royal Challengers Bengaluru edged past the Mumbai Indians in a heart-stopping last-over thriller to return to winning ways in the Indian Premier League 2026. RCB chased down a middling total of 167 on the final ball of the chase after Rasikh Salam completed a double to win it for Bengaluru by two wickets. RCB have now gone to the top of the IPL 2026 points table as MI and Lucknow Super Giants have officially been knocked out from the race to the playoffs.
The match went down to the wire with 15 needed from the final over as the inexperienced Raj Bawa rolled his arm over with Romario Shepherd and Rasikh in the middle. He erred and bowled a wide and a no-ball before another wide outside the off as it came down to 10 needed off four balls. But Bawa got the crucial wicket of Shepherd, caught at backward point as MI believed they have had it. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had other thoughts.
Bhuvi, Rasikh take RCB home
RCB needed 10 from the last four balls as Bawa went wide again, this time over the batsman's head. He went full the next ball and Bhuvneshwar slammed a six over covers. The equation was down to two off the final ball as Rasikh punched one straight down the ground and ran for a couple. The fielder fired the throw at the striker's end as Rasikh dived to make his ground. The umpires checked for a run-out but the batter was in as RCB secured a famous win.
Earlier, RCB were put in trouble when Corbin Bosch and Deepak Chahar combined for six wickets, with the Proteas star taking four. His maiden wicket over in the 13th changed the complexion of the game.
Krunal Pandya comes clutch
Just like his brother, Hardik, Krunal Pandya came clutch to keep the team moving. He has shown his worth in the previous few matches and provided the much-needed impetus once again. The all-rounder made 73 from 46 balls, battled cramps later and was not able to run. But he kept going, hitting boundaries and taking the team close before Allah Ghazanfar dismissed him. Shepherd was bestowed the responsibilty of guiding the team home, and while he could not do so, Rasikh and Bhuvneshwar held their nerves.
MI scored 166/7 as Bhuvneshwar starred
MI made a middling 166/7 in the 20 overs they faced, with Tilak Varma scoring a crucial fifty. Tilak put up important 82 runs for the fourth wicket after the visitors lost wickets in a heap.
Tilak struck a gritty 57, but a superb spell of 4/23 from Bhuvneshwar Kumar enabled the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to restrict the Mumbai Indians to a hard-fought 166/7. On a surface marked by cracks and uneven bounce that aided the fast bowlers, the experienced Indian pacer made full use of the conditions, finishing with figures of 4-0-23-4, including a decisive three-wicket burst that put RCB firmly in control.
Bhuvneshwar dismantled Mumbai’s top order by removing Ryan Rickelton (2), Rohit Sharma (22) and stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav (0), reducing MI to 28/3 in the early stages. However, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir (47) showed resilience with a crucial 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket, helping Mumbai recover on a demanding pitch where runs were difficult to come by throughout the innings.
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