RCB Beat MI by 18 Runs in IPL 2026 Thriller, Climb to Third Place

Chasing a daunting 241-run target, the Mumbai Indians explosively began their innings, with openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton taking the attack to the RCB bowlers from the outset.

The duo stitched together a quickfire start, racing to 39/0 in just three overs with aggressive strokeplay. Despite the mounting required run rate, MI kept pace early on and ended the powerplay strongly at 62/0, keeping themselves in contention in the high-scoring chase.

However, Mumbai suffered a major setback when Rohit Sharma walked off the field during the sixth over due to a hamstring issue, disrupting their rhythm at the top.

RCB struck their first blow in the eighth over through leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, who dismissed the dangerous Rickelton for 37 off 22 balls, an innings that included three fours and three sixes. On the very same over, Suyash delivered another crucial breakthrough by removing Tilak Varma for just one run, shifting the momentum in RCB's favour.

At the halfway mark, the Mumbai Indians were 99/2, still within reach but under increasing pressure from the rising asking rate.

The innings suffered another setback in the 13th over when all-rounder Krunal Pandya dismissed Suryakumar Yadav, who had scored a brisk 33 off 22 balls with five boundaries. With this wicket, MI slipped to 138/3 after 14 overs, needing a strong finish to stay alive in the chase.

Skipper Hardik Pandya then tried to revive the innings with an aggressive knock, scoring 40 off just 22 balls, including six fours and a six.

Hardik's counterattack briefly kept Mumbai in the hunt, but RCB pacer Jacob Duffy delivered a decisive blow in the following over, dismissing Hardik at a crucial juncture. In the following over, Rasikh Salam Dar removed Naman Dhir (1) as MI slumped to 154/5.

Towards the end, Sherfane Rutherford's unbeaten 31-ball 71, including one four and nine towering sixes, helped Mumbai Indians to close down the target as they finished at 222/5 in 20 overs. However, the five-time champions suffered an 18-run loss in the high-scoring contest.

For RCB, Suyash Sharma scalped two wickets.

Earlier, a 120-run stand between Salt (78 in 36 balls, with six fours and six sixes) and Virat and a 65-run stand between Virat (50 in 38 balls, with five fours and a six) and skipper Patidar (53 in 20 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes) and later some brutal hitting from David (34* in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes) pushed RCB to a massive score.

After being put to bat first by MI, openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli started with a bang, with Virat taking down Trent Boult for a six and Salt securing a four against the pacer in the first over.

RCB continued to gather fours and sixes against the pace duo of Boult and Jasprit Bumrah. However, in the fifth over against Mitchell Santner, Salt took off with three sixes and a four, bringing 22 runs off the over and helping RCB reach the 50-run mark in 4.2 overs.

At the end of six overs, RCB were 71/0, with Salt (47*) and Virat Kohli (22*) unbeaten.

Mayank Markande's eighth over was hammered for 20 more runs, with Salt smashing him for two fours and two sixes, reaching his first fifty of the season in 25 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes. In the next over, Virat collected a couple of fours, bringing up the 100-run mark in 8.4 overs.

Halfway through their innings, RCB was 115/0, with Salt (78*) and Virat (35*) unbeaten.

It was Shardul's golden arm which broke the 120-run opening stand, removing Salt with a fine catch from Hardik Pandya at extra-cover. RCB was 120/1 in 10.5 overs.

In the 12th over, skipper Rajat Patidar started his innings with a hat-trick of sixes against Markande. Runs continued to bleed in the 13th over by Shardul, as Virat and Rajat collected a four each, Patidar smacked a huge six over backward point, and the bowler also delivered three wides, making it 23 runs in the over. RCB reached the 150-run mark in 12.1 overs.

Patidar was merciless against Boult, collecting four and six to bring the 50-run stand in just 14 balls.

Virat reached his second fifty of the season in 37 balls, but later perished to Hardik. RCB was 185/2 in 14.4 overs.

RCB skipper continued his rampage, bringing up his fifty in 17 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes, but perished to Santner for a 20-ball 53, with four boundaries and five sixes, with a catch going to Tilak Varma. RCB was 194/3 in 16 overs.

Courtesy of a single from Jitesh Sharma, RCB reached the 200-run mark in 16.5 overs.

Heading towards the final over, RCB were 230/3, with David (27*) and Jitesh (10*) unbeaten.

RCB ended their innings at 240/4, with David (34* in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes) and Romario Shepherd (2*) unbeaten.

Shardul (1/32 in two overs), Hardik (1/39 in four overs), Santner (1/43) and Boult (1/50) took a wicket each for MI.

- ANI