MI vs RCB IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by 18 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash. RCB posted a massive 240 for 4 and then held the hosts to 222 for 5. Phil Salt set the pace with a quickfire 78 off 36 balls, putting on 120 for the first wicket with a steady Virat Kohli, who made 50 off 38.
Captain Rajat Patidar then took over, smashing 53 runs in only 20 balls to put the total out of reach. Mumbai’s chase started well, with the openers reaching 62 for 0 in the powerplay, but Rohit Sharma’s retired hurt on 19 broke MI’s rhythm and changed the game’s momentum.
Sherfane Rutherford’s 71 kept MI in the hunt
Even as wickets fell at the other end late in the game, Sherfane Rutherford hit an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls. He cleared the ropes nine times to bring MI closer to a target that looked out of reach. He came to the crease with the chase stalling at 154 for 5 after Jacob Duffy got rid of Hardik Pandya, and Rasikh Salam removed Naman Dhir. Sherfane Rutherford didn’t back down, hitting the ball all over the ground with the kind of power that gave the Wankhede crowd hope. While his knock made the scoreline much closer, RCB’s massive total was simply too much to chase down in the MI vs RCB IPL 2026 game.
MI vs RCB IPL 2026: When Rasikh’s cramps stopped the game, and broke a batter’s rhythm
The 16th over became a major talking point, and not just for the cricket. Rasikh Salam went down with cramps twice and needed the physio both times. He eventually walked off with one ball left in the over, which Romario Shepherd had to finish. In commentary, Sunil Gavaskar was clearly annoyed, suggesting RCB should have just taken Rasikh off earlier instead of stopping play repeatedly. The delays ruined Rutherford’s flow, and the batter admitted his frustration at the post-match press conference.
Sherfane Rutherford noted that the constant stops made it hard to bat during such a high-pressure chase. He explained that when you’re chasing a big run rate, you need a steady rhythm to make the right calls. He admitted it was out of his hands but said he would learn from the experience for future games.
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Whether Rasikh Salam was in real pain or just slowing the game down is still being debated, but the current rules don’t penalise players for medical delays. Either way, it was a tense moment in a game that MI lost not just on the board, but in the small details that swing T20 matches.
“I think that was the toughest part for me. Every time Rasikh bowled, he would take five minutes, bowl, take five minutes (again). As a batter, you need momentum. It does keep slowing down the game. It’s something I can’t control and just learn from it. Hopefully, next time I’ll try and stay ahead of the game,” Sherfane Rutherford said in the post-match press conference.
