Krunal Pandya’s superlative 73 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 4/23 lead RCB to last-over win over MI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) came to Raipur with contrasting ambitions in mind. The defending champions knew a win would take them closer to sealing a top-two spot. The latter needed a win to stay alive. And it was RCB who nudged past the five-time champions to go on top of the points table, eliminating them from the playoff qualification race.
Krunal’s defining innings
RCB have relied heavily on Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal for most of IPL 2026. But in Raipur on Sunday, both fell cheaply, as did captain Rajat Patidar, leaving them 39/3 in the sixth over.
That was when Krunal Pandya was forced into a role he has not often had to play this season.
The all-rounder had not had much time in the middle with the bat this season, but with RCB in early trouble, his experience suddenly became vital. Alongside Jacob Bethell, he began the recovery on a surface where strokeplay was not easy.
He took time to settle in, picking up singles against spin and absorbing pressure from the seamers. His first real release shot came against Corbin Bosch, helping a short ball over deep square leg for six. From there, the left-hander slowly began to grow into his innings.
Krunal 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝 Pandya at it again! 🔥
🎥 The @RCBTweets all-rounder oozing confidence out in the middle ❤️
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/wYlCB10dhm#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RCBvMI | @krunalpandya24 pic.twitter.com/9jtHtSXGM3
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2026
Against spin, he used his feet smartly and looked to target anything over-pitched. A powerful sweep off Will Jacks fetched him another boundary before he took on Allah Ghazanfar with a straight boundary and a six over long-on.
While Bethell kept the scoreboard moving at the other end, Krunal quietly ensured RCB did not lose further control of the innings. Even after the Englishman fell and then Jitesh Sharma departed after a crucial cameo, Krunal continued to hold one end.
By the time he reached his half-century in the 15th over, the recovery was complete. The left-hander acknowledged the applause and then pushed through cramps in the closing overs. He could barely run between the wickets but still found the strength to play the big shots.
In the 18th over, he launched Ghazanfar for two sixes over long-on. One attempted big hit in the same over nearly went the distance too, only for Tilak Varma to time his jump perfectly near the rope.
Krunal eventually fell for 73 off 46 balls, but not before producing one of RCB’s most important rescue acts of the season.
Bhuvi’s early strikes
Coming into Sunday’s clash, the MI opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton had built a reputation for setting the tone at the top. Although they had opened together only three times this season, two of those stands had crossed the 100-run mark and laid the platform for commanding wins.
That made the early battle with the new ball crucial for RCB. Enter Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the master of Powerplay bowling in the IPL.
The veteran seamer wasted little time in making an impact. In the first over, he removed Rickelton to hand RCB the perfect start.
Using the surface cleverly, the 36-year-old kept the ball short of length and forced batsmen into manufacturing shots. The left-hander attempted to loft his drive, but the extra bounce did him in, the ball ballooning straight to Rajat Patidar at mid-off. MI were 4/1.
𝘽𝙝𝙪𝙫𝙞-𝙛𝙪𝙡 exhibition of new-ball magic! 🤌
🎥 Just sit back and admire the swing of things! ❤️
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/wYlCB10dhm#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RCBvMI | @RCBTweets | @BhuviOfficial pic.twitter.com/STbZ16mzbj
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2026
In the third over, he outfoxed Rohit with a superb knuckleball. Bowled at just 116.6 kph, the slower delivery forced the former MI captain into the shot too early, resulting in a thick edge behind to wicketkeeper Jitesh. It left MI at 28/2.
Things worsened with the very next delivery. Stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav fell for a first-ball duck, edging a fuller delivery to first slip where Kohli completed a low catch diving to his right.
Brief Scores: MI 166/7 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 57, Naman Dhir 47, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4/23) lost to RCB 167/8 in 20 overs (Krunal Pandya 73) by 2 wickets.
