New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru made most of their batting firepower to notch up an 18-run win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday in another high-scoring IPL 2026 match.
Mumbai won the toss and opted to bowl and were made to rue the decision as Virat Kohli (50), Phil Salt (78) and Rajat Patidar (53) all made merry to propel RCB to a huge 240 for four.
On a flat Wankhede stadium track, Mumbai didn’t look like they could overhaul the RCB score and reached 222 for five in their 20 overs for their third loss in as many matches.
RCB won their third match in four outings but remained thrid with six points, while five-time winners Mumbai remained at the eighth spot.
Salt and Kohli’s 120-run first-wicket partnership led the platform for RCB to blast on all fronts as after their departure Patidar and Tim David (35 not out) continued in the same vein for RCB to reach a total that would have been difficult to chase for any team.
Mumbai still harboured hopes with Ryan Rickleton (37) Rohit Sharma (19 retired hurt) putting on 57 runs in 32 balls.
But once Rohit pulled out of the crease with a hamstring issue and Rickleton was dismissed in the eighth over with Mumbai’s score at 72, it was curtains for Mumbai though Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) did try their best.
But with the asking rate continuously jumping, Yadav and Pandya were dismissed while trying to club the ball out of the ground, which RCB did with ease.
‘Impact Sub’ Sherfane Rutherford’s effort (71 not out) was too little too late as by then the result was a foregone conclusion.
Mumbai’s bowlers had no answer to RCB’s assault in the first half of the innings as Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless for the fourth successive match, for the second time in his career after 2014.
Before the match, a minute’s silence was observed for the departed melody queen Asha Bhosle.