Former India leg-spinner Murali Kartik took aim at Tilak Varma’s body language during the IPL 2026 clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday night. The criticism came after a moment of visible tension between Mumbai batters during RCB’s innings, with match cameras catching an argument involving Tilak and Naman Dhir.
The incident unfolded in the second delivery of the 18th over. Krunal Pandya lofted the ball into the air off Allah Ghazanfar’s bowling, sending it toward the mid-on fence. Naman moved to the boundary and collected the catch near the rope, but at the point where he was about to reach the boundary cushion, he redirected the ball toward Tilak.
Tilak failed to secure the return throw, apparently believing the ball was going to clear the boundary for six. Instead of quickly firing the ball back to the field of play, Tilak engaged in an animated exchange with Naman, and the back-and-forth continued for a few seconds before both players realised the immediate situation. By the time they adjusted, Naman had not completed the catch as required, and Mumbai lost a prime opportunity to dismiss Tilak there and then.
Kartik questions the on-field “fight”
Kartik was particularly harsh on what he called an unnecessary “fight” in the middle of play, arguing that the priority should have been getting the ball back into action rather than engaging in a confrontation.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Kartik said it was difficult to judge everything from afar, even for someone working as a commentator. He added that when big teams struggle, such incidents often become easy targets, but stressed that one specific moment had left him unhappy.
“You spoke about the catch that Naman Dhir should have taken, just that interaction at that point in time. It wasn’t needed,” Kartik said. “They didn’t take a single, and they didn’t take a run because Krunal was cramping at that time. But you don’t need a fight in the middle or a bit of an altercation or argument. As Naman Dhir suggested, you should be throwing the ball. I don’t know whether that’s reflective of anything, but that is something that shouldn’t have happened,” he added.
“Million murmurs” around MI
While focusing on the immediate flashpoint, Kartik also pointed to the broader atmosphere around Mumbai Indians. He suggested the latest episode would only add fuel to the speculation already circulating around the franchise.
“Yes, there have been a million murmurs going around,” Kartik remarked. “Yes, there are things which haven’t happened, and yes, the last three years haven’t gone the way MI would have wanted. But for me, I didn’t want to see what I saw today. All of us are pretty intense on the ground, but at the time, where common sense and cricket smarts need to take over,” he said.
He further stressed the timing of the disagreement, saying it should not happen at a crucial point of the match, especially near the boundary area. “At a crucial stage, you don’t want two people to have an argument at the end of the boundary rope. You don’t want to see that,” Kartik added.
Mumbai Indians were ultimately knocked out of the IPL 2026 playoff race after losing to RCB by two wickets. Suryakumar Yadav captained the franchise in the previous two matches, with Hardik Pandya missing the games due to a back spasm.
