RCB Edge Mumbai Indians in Last-Ball Thriller to Reach IPL 2026 Next Round

Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Mumbai Indians by two wickets on the final ball to advance in IPL 2026, ending Mumbai's campaign in a high-pressure eliminator at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Sunday. Set 167 to win, RCB held their nerve despite a top-order collapse, with Krunal Pandya scoring 73 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar smashing a six and taking a single off the last legal delivery to secure victory.

Mumbai Indians posted 166/7 after recovering from 22/4, thanks to Tilak Varma's 57 and Naman Dhir's 47, but were pegged back by Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4/23, which dismantled their top order. RCB's chase faltered early at 24/2 after losing Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, then 47/3 at the end of the powerplay, before Krunal Pandya anchored a crucial recovery alongside Jacob Bethell (27).

Corbin Bosch countered with 4/26, removing key RCB batters and leaving them 15 needed off the last six balls. In the final over, two illegal deliveries from Raj Bawa gave RCB extra runs, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar capitalized by hitting a six off the fourth legal delivery, then completing the winning run with a single off Rasikh Salam Dar.

Mumbai Indians exit the tournament despite strong contributions from their middle order, while RCB progress to the next stage on the strength of an all-round performance. The IPL 2026 playoffs continue with the next fixture scheduled for Tuesday.