Krunal Pandya produced a tough, match-steering 73 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar backed it with a devastating all-round spell of 4/23 alongside an unbeaten 7, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru edged Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a tense finish in Raipur on Sunday. With the result, RCB climbed to the summit of the IPL standings, collecting 14 points from 11 matches and effectively ruling MI out of the playoff race. The chase unfolded in an attritional rhythm on a difficult surface, but RCB scraped the required runs with two added off the final delivery.
Key takeaways
- RCB chased down 167 against Mumbai Indians with a two-wicket win in Raipur.
- Krunal Pandya top-scored for RCB with 73 off 46 balls, striking five sixes and four fours.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered 4/23 and remained 7 not out to help close out the chase.
- RCB reached first place on the IPL table, ending the day with 14 points from 11 matches.
- Defending champions RCB required 15 runs from the last over bowled by Raj Bawa, including a six from Bhuvneshwar.
- Mumbai finished on 166/7, and the defeat knocked them out of contention for IPL playoffs.
RCB’s chase: a low-scoring battle swings both ways
In a contest that rarely offered comfort to batters, momentum kept shifting as both sides struggled to impose clean control. RCB were made to work hard even after keeping their innings alive, eventually posting 167 for eight in reply to MI’s 166/7.
Although Pandya was battling cramps towards the end, his knock remained the backbone of the chase. He struck with intent throughout, carrying most of the run-scoring burden for RCB as wickets fell and the required rate kept demanding precision.
A crucial turning point arrived in the 18th over. Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma were close catching from midwicket and long-on when Tilak’s top-edge drifted in their direction. Dhir gathered the ball, but the chance was mishandled and the opportunity was lost. Pandya immediately punished the reprieve by smashing two sixes off AM Ghazanfar, bringing RCB nearer to the target. Yet on the final ball of that phase, Tilak completed a bunny-hop catch to remove the biggest threat from the chase.
Earlier in RCB’s innings, Virat Kohli (0) attempted to take control straight away, driving to mid-off. Raj Bawa took a low, sharp catch off Deepak Chahar, ending Kohli’s stay early.
Chahar struck again in the third over, this time creating an outside edge off Devdutt Padikkal’s (12) bat. Padikkal had started with confidence, hitting a four and a six, but the edge shifted the contest back towards MI.
When RCB were jolted twice early, they still leaned into aggression, which paid off in the sixth over when Rajat Patidar was dismissed. Corbin Bosch (4/24) produced extra bounce that cramped Patidar for room, and Patidar (8) mistimed a leading edge that flew to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton.
By the end of the powerplay, RCB—like MI—had dropped anchor after being reduced to 39 for three. While MI looked to further choke the scoring rate through disciplined bowling, RCB focused on keeping wickets in hand and staying in the hunt.
Jacob Bethell (26) began with two striking fours and held one end up effectively. Alongside Pandya, he added 55 runs for the fourth wicket, keeping the chase balanced despite the mounting pressure. However, in the 13th over, Bethell flicked one off the pads straight to Tilak at deep square leg, ending his useful resistance.
Jitesh Sharma (18) also briefly looked set to swing momentum back, smashing a six and a four to signal his return to form. But his attempt at attacking cricket ended in disappointment when he was caught by Dhir off Bosch in the 16th over’s penultimate delivery.
Bosch then ensured MI stayed firmly in the game by removing Tim David (0) through a catch behind.
Earlier: Bhuvneshwar’s burst restricts MI to 166/7
Before RCB’s reply, MI had posted 166/7, thanks to a tenacious 57 from Tilak and a stabilising 82-run fourth-wicket partnership between Tilak and Naman Dhir. Still, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s bowling defined the innings, as his 4/23 included a three-wicket burst that put MI under pressure early and repeatedly.
The pitch offered cracks and uneven bounce for fast bowlers, and Bhuvneshwar made full use of it. He struck through MI’s top order, removing Ryan Rickelton (2), Rohit Sharma (22), and stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav (0) to leave the visitors wobbling at 28 for three.
To MI’s credit, Tilak (57 off 42 balls; 3x4s, 2x6s) and Dhir (47) dug in and rebuilt. Their 82-run stand for the fourth wicket pushed MI to a competitive, near-par total on a surface that demanded patience from the batters and punished loose timing.
Tilak had a narrow escape in the sixth over when Suyash Sharma dropped a sitter while Tilak was on nine. With another wicket potentially derailing MI further, the missed chance mattered. Tilak was beaten by an off-paced delivery from Rasikh Salam, and a top edge sailed towards Suyash at midwicket. The ball went through the fielder’s hands for an embarrassing drop.
Tilak and Dhir rotated the strike intelligently during their partnership, playing to the merit of each delivery. Dhir’s innings featured five fours and two sixes, crafted as 47 off 32 balls, before he fell to a cross-seam delivery that kept low and caught him out.
Bhuvneshwar’s early wickets were especially significant because his three strikes in the opening phase marked the sixth time the 36-year-old had taken a three-wicket haul in this IPL.
He struck on the final ball of the opening over to dismiss an in-form Ryan Rickelton (2). Rickelton tried to loft the ball, but the extra bounce sent it skyward, where Patidar took it at mid-off. Bhuvneshwar followed with a knuckle-ball variation that took pace off the ball and angled outside off. Rohit reached for it but only managed an edge to the keeper.
Suryakumar Yadav’s difficult campaign continued as well. His dismissal came when he went hard at a delivery that was quicker than expected yet probing outside off. The thick edge flew to Virat Kohli, who made the catch confidently.
