Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes Mumbai Indians’ struggles in their 18-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru began long before the chasing stage, pointing to the damage caused by a bowling effort that allowed 240 runs. At the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai were set a demanding target of 241 and fought hard late on, but ended their innings on 222/5—falling short despite the acceleration in the latter part of the chase. Pathan’s key argument was that such a hefty total forces a chase to be almost perfect, leaving very little room for error.
“There are concerns with the batting, no doubt, but the bigger issue starts with conceding 240. Having said that, chasing 241 on a pitch like this, you still expect them to get closer. The problem was the lack of a solid start in the Powerplay and losing wickets early, which put pressure on the middle order. In the middle overs, there were phases where they could have gone big but didn’t. Hardik Pandya got runs but never looked in full control, Tilak Varma has now had a few quiet innings, and players like Rickelton need to find more options against spin. Those small gaps made the difference,” Pathan said on JioStar.
He also highlighted how Mumbai’s chase was further unsettled after Rohit Sharma had to retire hurt soon after the innings got going, disrupting the batting rhythm and affecting the way the chase could be paced. Even with contributions from Hardik Pandya and others, Pathan felt that the team failed to sustain the right momentum during crucial phases, and that inconsistency ultimately proved costly when the match demanded sharper execution.
Pathan reserved particular praise for Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar, suggesting that his aggressive approach created the foundation for the total. “Rajat Patidar has been a nightmare for bowlers. He comes in and starts attacking from ball one. That intent makes a huge difference. The moment he walked in, he set the tone, and every ball he faced, looked like it could go the distance. He’s been the biggest positive in their batting line-up, and his approach is what really separates RCB’s total from the opposition,” he added.
Patidar’s 53 off just 20 deliveries, alongside Phil Salt’s explosive 78, propelled RCB to 240/4. With Mumbai chasing a target of that size, the momentum Bengaluru built proved decisive, as the visitors were ultimately unable to cross the finish line and fell 18 runs short.
