A remarkable new-ball performance by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and a steady half-century by Tilak Varma highlighted Mumbai Indians’ innings, reaching 166/7 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 match at Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Opting to bowl first, RCB’s Rajat Patidar witnessed Bhuvneshwar’s early strikes that put Mumbai under pressure during the Power-play, setting a disciplined tone.
Despite a brief counterattack led by Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar’s experience and variations caused setbacks, with Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav departing quickly. Varma and Dhir then stabilized Mumbai’s innings with smart strike rotation and occasional boundaries, rebuilding after the early blows. Varma’s assured spin handling and Dhir’s effective use of pace helped Mumbai recover momentum.
Varma, supported by Dhir’s controlled aggression, was on course for a fifty before a crucial breakthrough by Rasikh Salam Dar dismissed Dhir. Varma, however, continued his anchor role, crafting a well-deserved fifty and accelerating in the death overs. Bhuvneshwar’s exceptional bowling, ending with figures of 4-23, and RCB’s strong finish limited Mumbai to 166/7, a total Mumbai hopes will be competitive on the challenging Raipur pitch.
