NEW DELHI: The emotions, energy, excitement, roar and cheers were all evident the moment Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched a last-ball thriller against Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2026 match at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Sunday.With 2 runs needed off the final ball, the RCB dugout was seen holding its nerve, but it soon erupted after Rasikh Salam Dar collected two runs and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Mumbai Indians.
Virat Kohli jumped in celebration as RCB players rushed in for hugs. Amid the celebrations, what caught eyeballs was RCB all-rounder Tim David’s gesture, as he showed his middle finger while celebrating the win against Mumbai Indians, who were eliminated from the tournament.RCB, after winning the match, moved to the top of the IPL 2026 points table. They have 7 wins and 4 losses in 11 matches and sit on 14 points with a net run rate of +1.103. Having suffered their eighth loss in 11 games, MI’s hopes of qualifying for the playoffs have been dashed.After RCB’s win and Mumbai Indians’ elimination, India legend Sunil Gavaskar picked Punjab Kings and RCB as the finalists for the IPL 2026 season.“I would still back Punjab Kings. Sometimes, a couple of losses can actually help a team reset and avoid complacency. Delhi Capitals, on the other hand, have lost games they should have won, and that has been a recurring issue for them this season. Punjab will know how important this stage of the tournament is, and they won’t want self-doubt creeping in with another defeat. I still see Punjab Kings and RCB as my finalists for this season,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.As MI were knocked out of the playoffs race, Gavaskar elaborated on the five-time winners’ approach for the remainder of the season and said it may be the right opportunity to give younger players a chance.“In T20 cricket, ups and downs are bound to happen. Once the season ends, that’s the right time to properly assess what went wrong. But at this stage, my view is that the senior players have given everything they had. Now, it may be the right opportunity to give younger players a chance in the remaining matches. That will help the franchise understand how these youngsters handle pressure and whether they can justify the faith shown in them,” he said.
