Half-centuries from Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar, followed by disciplined bowling, helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an IPL 2026 match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
Opting to bat, RCB posted a formidable 240/4 in 20 overs, riding on Salt’s 78 off 36 balls and Patidar’s quickfire 53 off 20. Virat Kohli added a steady 50, while Tim David remained unbeaten on 34.
Salt and Kohli stitched together a 100-run opening stand, with Salt taking the aggressive route early on. After his dismissal, Patidar accelerated the innings, reaching his fifty in just 16 balls. However, a brief middle-order slowdown prevented RCB from crossing the 250-mark.
Chasing a stiff target of 241, Mumbai Indians got off to a solid start, with Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton adding quick runs in the powerplay. The chase suffered a setback when Rohit retired hurt due to a hamstring injury after scoring 19.
Rickelton (37), Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) kept Mumbai in the hunt, but regular wickets dented momentum. Sherfane Rutherford’s unbeaten 71 off 31 balls, featuring nine sixes, came too late as MI finished at 222/5.
Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma was the pick of the bowlers for RCB, claiming two crucial wickets, while others chipped in to keep the scoring in check.
With this win, RCB registered their third victory in four matches and moved to third place on the points table with six points, behind Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, slumped to their third consecutive defeat.
-IANS
