Virat Kohli’s struggles continued in IPL 2026 as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain was dismissed for a golden duck against Mumbai Indians in Raipur on Sunday. Kohli completely mis-hit a delivery from Deepak Chahar, and Raj Angad Bawa took an uncomplicated catch at mid-off to end his stay early.
Kohli’s back-to-back ducks highlight RCB’s control
This was Kohli’s second consecutive outing with a score of zero, following his failure to get going in the previous match against Lucknow Super Giants. The dismissal also marked the second time Kohli has recorded a duck in successive IPL innings since 2022, when he was dismissed without a run against Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad in consecutive games.
RCB set 167 as Mumbai finish on 166/7
After Kohli’s early dismissal did not derail Mumbai Indians, the hosts managed a total of 166 for seven in their IPL match on Sunday. Tilak Varma top-scored with a 42-ball 57, providing the key momentum in the middle overs, but Bengaluru’s bowlers ensured the innings never fully opened up.
Sent in to bat, Mumbai were struggling at 28/3 in the first three overs. Naman Dhir (47) and Tilak then combined to add 82 runs off 57 deliveries, stabilising the chase for a time. Once the two departed, Mumbai’s scoring rate stalled as the RCB attack tightened the game and limited further damage.
- Mumbai Indians: 166/7 (IPL 2026 match in Raipur)
- Tilak Varma: 57 off 42 balls
- Score at one stage: 28/3 in three overs
- Recovery stand: Naman Dhir (47) and Tilak added 82 off 57
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s spell does the damage
Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced the standout bowling performance for RCB, taking four wickets while conceding just 23 runs. In addition to his impact, Josh Hazlewood (1/33), Rasikh Salam Dar (1/42), and Romario Shepherd (1/18) also chipped in with wickets to keep Mumbai’s batting unit under pressure.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 4/23 in four overs
- Josh Hazlewood: 1/33
- Rasikh Salam Dar: 1/42
- Romario Shepherd: 1/18
Who Bhuvneshwar dismissed
Bhuvneshwar removed Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma—wickets that swung the game back in Bengaluru’s favour after the early wobble.
Planning, discipline and a tough pitch
After the innings, Bhuvneshwar credited his team’s careful planning and disciplined execution for the results of his spell. He also reflected on the conditions, saying the surface remained difficult to read across the match, with the ball moving and the next delivery often behaving differently than expected.
“Honestly, it was a tricky wicket. It looks like you're going to have a good time as a bowler. The next ball goes for a boundary. So yes, it was a tricky wicket, but we did well,” he said after the innings.
