IPL 2026: Krunal Pandya praises Bhuvneshwar Kumar late six as RCB beat MI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru stayed in the Indian Premier League playoff race after a tense two-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. Krunal Pandya said Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced the key moment late in the chase. The result ended Mumbai Indians’ playoff hopes in a low-scoring match that went to the final ball.

With nine needed from three balls, Bhuvneshwar hit a six over cover off Raj Bawa. That shot reduced the chase to three from two deliveries. Bhuvneshwar had earlier returned 4-0-23-4 with the ball. RCB then completed the chase on the last delivery to seal victory.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar six and Krunal Pandya innings

RCB’s pursuit was anchored by Pandya’s 73 from 46 balls, including five sixes and four fours. Pandya described the late boundary from Bhuvneshwar as decisive on a difficult pitch. "The shot Bhuvi played was the shot of the match. It was a wicket where you had to play cricketing shots. You had to get into good positions and you had to apply and grind,\" Pandya said.

Pandya said cramps affected the closing stages of the innings, but Pandya stayed focused on the points gained. \"Its fine, I suffered a lot of cramps. Now onwards I guess I will take of lot of fluids and food. I was cramping a lot. It started from calf, went to glutes and went to my back. It was something new for me. But what matters is those two points. I love tough situations as I am always prepared. I look forward to doing it when things are tough,\" Pandya said.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar on discipline and match conditions

Bhuvneshwar said the late six was the moment Bhuvneshwar would remember from the match. \"The six for sure, because I have bowled many times and taken few wickets, but the six, I will enjoy the most,\" Bhuvneshwar said. It was Bhuvneshwar’s sixth instance of taking three wickets or more in this IPL.

Discussing consistency, Bhuvneshwar played down motivation and highlighted routine and fitness support. \"Honestly, motivation is a very over-rated word for me. You read some quote or watch a video and get motivated for a few days. That fades away quickly. Discipline keeps me going. My physios help me remain in shape. I think everything depends on the wicket as well. Today the wicket was two-paced. The good thing is that throughout the year I am getting match practice and enough breaks to recharge myself. When you do what you want to do, you feel confident. Crucial two points for us. If we lost that one, we would be under pressure but we did well to get the two points,\" Bhuvneshwar said.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar and Mumbai Indians decisions

RCB captain Rajat Patidar credited the bowlers for limiting Mumbai Indians to 166. Patidar also said the chase became harder than it should have been for a deep batting unit. \"I think the bowlers did a tremendous job restricting them to 166. But to be honest, I dont think we deserved to win the match because with our batting lineup, we should be chasing this target easily,\" Patidar said.

Mumbai Indians stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav said Raj Bawa was trusted to defend 15 in the final over. Bawa conceded a six to Bhuvneshwar and also leaked five extra runs. Mumbai Indians also used Raghu Sharma as an impact substitute for Rohit Sharma. The move brought spin on a pitch favouring pace.

Suryakumar said Mumbai Indians were short on runs despite the late pressure created. \"He had been practicing that death bowling really well and he was a complete different all rounder this year and almost pulled it off for us. But I think we were 10-15 runs short,\" Suryakumar said. RCB moved to the top of the IPL 2026 points table after the win.