MI versus RCB has always carried a special edge in the IPL, with the rivalry often turning into a high-voltage contest. Mumbai may hold the upper hand in overall silverware, but Bengaluru’s intensity in this matchup has never dulled. That contrast was on full display during the IPL 2026 encounter on Sunday, when RCB thoroughly dominated MI.
Quick facts
- Match: Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026
- Day: Sunday
- Key talking point: RCB’s heavy win over MI
- Focus of criticism: Hardik Pandya’s bowling captaincy choices versus Rajat Patidar
- Analyst: Ravichandran Ashwin
- Earlier example cited: SRH vs RCB (2024) where Patidar punished Mayank Markande
Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the most outspoken voices in T20 analysis, pointed to captaincy decisions as a major driver of RCB’s success. In his view, the biggest issue was how Hardik Pandya used his bowling options, especially the calls made when Rajat Patidar was set to take the attack forward.
A familiar pattern: the Patidar-Markande problem
Ashwin traced the logic back to a past IPL meeting between Sunrisers Hyderabad and RCB in 2024. In that game, Patidar hit Mayank Markande for four sixes in a single over, turning the spell into a turning point. Ashwin argued that the warning signs were already there, yet the same kind of matchup was repeated.
He questioned why MI would hand Markande the ball against a batter known for thriving against spin. Ashwin’s core point was that the captaincy choice ignored Patidar’s established ability to clear the ropes repeatedly when spin is presented with the wrong plan.
In the IPL 2026 contest being discussed, the damage came quickly. Patidar struck three consecutive sixes off Markande in the 11th over of the innings, underlining how little room there was for error once the batter found momentum.
“This SRH vs RCB 2024 game was where Rajat Patidar announced that he is a spin hitter. He was hitting Markande into every corner,” Ashwin said in the video. He added that the pattern had similarities across both overs—starting with an opening ball where Virat Kohli took a single, and then the rest of the sequence swinging toward big hits.
“There are some common things between these two big overs. The first ball was taken by Virat Kohli, he took a single, and everything else was the same. There he hit four sixes, here he hit three,” Ashwin highlighted.
Hardik’s captaincy under the microscope
Ashwin’s verdict on Hardik’s approach was blunt. He suggested the decision-making wasn’t the smartest, arguing that MI effectively played into Patidar’s strengths rather than disrupting his rhythm.
He also noted that Markande ended up leaking runs at a heavy rate—conceding 40 runs in just two overs, with an economy of 20.00. In Ashwin’s framing, the selection of that bowling option turned into a costly mistake that RCB converted into control of the match.
“Rajat Patidar is a monster hitter against spinners. When he came to bat, you gave the ball to Markande straight away? Not the smartest of moves. Very, very average,” Ashwin said. He followed it up with another pointed comparison, stressing that Patidar had already punished Markande in Hyderabad and then did it again almost from the first ball.
“It is very important to understand what Markande thinks. Patidar hit him and washed him in Hyderabad, and here, he hit him from the very first ball again,” Ashwin added.
The criticism didn’t stop at Markande. Ashwin brought up Mitchell Santner, MI’s second spinner in the game, pointing out that Santner also conceded 43 runs even though he bowled his full quota of four overs. Taken together, Ashwin argued that the spin unit paid a steep price.
“All in all, spinners alone cost Mumbai 83 runs in just six overs,” Ashwin concluded. He even quantified the swing in the contest using the margin between totals, saying, “Here, the difference is between 210 and 240. Mayank Markande: two overs, 40 runs. Today, the spinners went for 83 runs total. I think Santner went for 43 as well.”
