Two senior stars—Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma—were forced to deal with injury scares during the high-profile Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Kohli, despite reaching a fifty for RCB, was not seen taking his place on the field during Mumbai’s innings; he was spotted in the dressing area wearing a jacket. Rohit, meanwhile, retired hurt during the sixth over of the chase after reporting discomfort in his hamstring.
As the innings progressed, Rohit was seen struggling with the issue and eventually walked off, allowing Suryakumar Yadav to come in. Before the sixth over began, Rohit received treatment from the physio, but after a few deliveries he still appeared to be in pain and made the call to leave the field. Rohit’s stay ended with 19 runs from 13 balls.
With Kohli’s concern, RCB management chose not to use a replacement immediately. Tim David was brought in as the impact substitute, but Jacob Bethell was later seen out in the field as well. Match commentary then confirmed that Kohli was unavailable due to an ankle injury.
Earlier in the day, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya opted to bowl first. RCB responded with 240 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs. The total was powered by half-centuries from Kohli, Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar.
Among RCB’s top scorers, Kohli carried the second-lowest strike rate, and his frustration surfaced after he was dismissed by Hardik Pandya. After completing his 50 off 38 balls, Kohli threw both his gloves and helmet into the dugout, a clear display of anger directed at his own performance in the middle.
Even with Kohli’s visibly mixed emotions, RCB still managed to post a hefty total. Patidar, Salt and Tim David combined to keep the scoring rate extremely brisk, with their batting largely featuring strike rates above 200.
Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, continued a tough run in terms of breakthroughs, failing to claim a wicket for the fourth straight IPL 2026 match. Still, he was the most economical bowler for Mumbai Indians, conceding 35 runs in his full quota of four overs.
For Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Shardul Thakur each finished with one wicket apiece. In the marquee contest, RCB made a single alteration, bringing in Jacob Duffy for Josh Hazlewood, while Mumbai Indians changed their XI twice.
