Ravichandran Ashwin picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s match-winning performance against Mumbai Indians (MI) as the defining moment for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2026. Ashwin described it as RCB’s most important contribution of the season, even ahead of the many memorable innings he has played Virat Kohli.
During the 10th league match of the tournament, Royal Challengers Bangalore faced Mumbai Indians on a challenging ground in Raipur. The Rajat Patidar-led side achieved a thrilling win by two wickets on the last ball after restricting Mumbai Indians to 166/7 and successfully chasing the target in a tense encounter.
Ravichandran Ashwin hails IPL 2026 as supreme moment for RCB
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin Picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s performance against Mumbai Indians as the defining moment for RCB. Ashwin said the veteran fast bowler’s all-round contribution was better than many of the match-winning innings played by others.
Bhuvneshwar bowled brilliantly with the ball, dismissing Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav in the powerplay and then dismissed Tilak Verma for 57 runs. He took 4 wickets for 23 runs.
The veteran also made an impact with the bat and hit a crucial six when RCB needed 10 runs off the last three balls to seal a dramatic win.
Experienced fast bowler performed brilliantly ipl 2026 season and played a key role in RCB’s title-winning campaign. Bhuvneshwar finished the tournament as one of the leading wicket-takers with 28 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 17.89 and an economy rate of 7.95.
Also Read: Anil Kumble reveals India’s XI vs AFG Test match; Former Purple Cap winner left out
Ashwin picks the only low point of RCB’s IPL 2026 campaign
Ravichandran Ashwin also revealed what was RCB’s only low point during their successful IPL 2026 campaign. Former India spinner said that the team made some tactical mistakes while opening the bowling. jacob duffy In place of experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Ashwin pointed out that the decision was the only notable blemish in an otherwise excellent season. He felt that RCB were at their best when they relied on Bhuvneshwar to take the new ball and lead the attack.
The team opened the bowling with Duffy on a few occasions during the league stage and playoffs, including the final. Despite those minor tactical errors, RCB remained one of the strongest teams of the tournament and successfully defended their IPL title.
He didn’t pick 11 just for the sake of it – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin said this Royal Challengers Bangalore Showed excellent planning and strong winning mentality throughout the season. Ashwin was impressed with how RCB used their final league match to prepare for the playoffs rather than fielding their regular XI.
“I would give RCB 10.5/10. The reason for the extra half is that they didn’t just pick 11 for it. Even after qualifying, they used the last SRH match as a trial for the playoffs by playing Jacob Duffy and opening with Venkatesh Iyer,” Ashwin said.
Royal Challengers Bangalore topped the points table with nine wins from 14 league matches. They then defeated Gujarat Titans in both Qualifier 1 and the final to defend their IPL title, becoming the third franchise after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to win consecutive titles.
Also read: Vaibhav Suryavanshi doubles endorsement fees after record-breaking IPL 2026 season – report
