Ravi Shastri’s name is now etched into the fabric of Mumbai cricket. Last week, the 1983 World Cup winner and former India head coach was honoured with a dedicated stand at Wankhede Stadium, and the ceremony sparked plenty of curiosity about how he would respond if a shot ever landed in his “Ravi Shastri Stand”. That question was answered in style on Sunday during the IPL 2026 clash between the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), when a key hit from the MI captain sailed towards the very end of the ground that bears Shastri’s name.
Shastri’s stand, and the moment it came alive
During the official inauguration at Wankhede, Shastri was asked what his reaction would be if a batter struck a six in the direction of the “Ravi Shastri Stand”. The former Team India all-rounder didn’t give a straight answer—he instead told the journalist to wait, suggesting it would be worth the suspense.
On match day, Shastri’s words carried extra weight. When the game began, it was exactly the kind of delivery the fans had been imagining—one that turned the stand into a talking point in real time.
Hardik’s boundary and Shastri’s “tracer bullet” line
The turning moment arrived when Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya struck a four straight down the ground off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The ball raced towards the boundary, and Shastri’s excitement was immediate as the shot headed in the direction of the Ravi Shastri Stand.
Shastri then recalled his own popular phrase—“into the fence like a tracer bullet”—and used it to encourage Hardik to go even further. He urged the MI captain to aim higher and cash in with the kind of six that could truly land in his named territory.
- Shastri described the delivery with the line “into the fence like a tracer bullet”.
- He said the shot was aimed at the Ravi Shastri Stand and suggested more might follow.
- His advice to Hardik: “Aim higher” and target those areas if Mumbai want to win.
Faf du Plessis reacts as MI’s skipper finds the target
As Shastri visibly enjoyed the moment, South Africa batter Faf du Plessis also couldn’t hide his excitement. He noted that no one could match Shastri’s energy once the former coach got going.
- Du Plessis said Shastri was “charging now” and that everyone should get ready as the energy was “on”.
- He highlighted that Shastri’s enthusiasm was unmatched.
RCB’s batting set the chase; MI fall short
On the field, the match itself belonged to RCB. The Bengaluru side came out on top by 18 runs after the contest began with Hardik Pandya winning the toss and choosing to bowl.
RCB posted 240/4 in their 20 overs, powered by three notable half-century knocks: Virat Kohli made 50, Phil Salt struck 78, and Rajat Patidar contributed 53. Tim David added further momentum with an unbeaten 34 off 16 balls as the defending champions pushed past the 235-run mark.
In response, Mumbai Indians’ chase of 241 suffered an early blow. Rohit Sharma retired hurt in the sixth over after a hamstring injury, leaving the chase in a fragile state. Hardik Pandya top-scored with 40, Suryakumar Yadav made 33, and Sherfane Rutherford finished unbeaten on 71, but RCB held their nerve to seal an 18-run victory.
Points table impact
- RCB moved to the third spot with 6 points from 4 matches.
- Mumbai Indians remain in the lower half, with only 2 points from 4 games.
