Royal Challengers Bengaluru sealed a last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians in Raipur on Sunday, but the match’s decisive swing came from a moment of miscommunication in the field involving Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir. The incident, which unfolded in the 18th over, ultimately proved to be the difference between the sides as Krunal Pandya struck twice in the same spell and turned the contest on its head.
How the game changed in the 18th over
- During the 18th over, Krunal Pandya hit Allah Ghazanfar towards the long-on boundary.
- Naman Dhir reached the ball and completed the catch, but he went beyond the boundary while trying to secure it.
- Although Dhir managed to get the ball back into play in time, Tilak Varma believed the ball had already cleared the rope for six and did not attempt a relay catch.
- The lack of a second attempt sparked an animated exchange between the two Mumbai players.
- No run was taken by the batting side, yet the episode cost Mumbai dearly as Krunal went on to strike two sixes in the over before being dismissed.
The conversation between the fielders became a talking point because, in the end, that over’s impact was decisive—Krunal’s two maximums in the same spell changed the match’s trajectory.
Reaction after MI’s campaign ended
After their heartbreaking two-wicket defeat to RCB at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Sunday, Suryakumar Yadav admitted Mumbai fell short in the moments that mattered most. With the loss, MI’s IPL 2026 campaign came to an end.
Chasing the target of 166 on a difficult pitch, Mumbai pushed the match right down to the last ball. However, Suryakumar felt the batting innings did not provide the cushion needed for such conditions.
“I think we were 10-15 runs short. We can say the wrong timing of wickets (while batting). Naman and Tilak batted beautifully and showed character,” Suryakumar said following the defeat.
Key innings for Mumbai
After Bhuvneshwar Kumar made early inroads and reduced Mumbai to 28/3, Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir rebuilt the innings with a steady partnership. Naman scored a fluent 47, while Tilak contributed a composed 57, helping MI recover to 166/7 despite the slow start.
Late-over pressure and praise for Raj Bawa
Suryakumar also singled out young all-rounder Raj Bawa for special praise. He nearly held his nerve in a tense final over, when RCB required a finish and ultimately secured victory off the last ball.
“I think he had been practising that (death bowling) really well, and he was a completely different all-rounder this year. Almost pulled it off for us,” Suryakumar added.
