Kamal Ghorui
A breathtaking late twist unfolded between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians as the IPL 2026 clash in Raipur went right down to the final ball. With RCB needing 30 runs from the final three overs, tension was clearly visible in the Bengaluru dugout. Krunal Pandya was the lone hope at the crease, while young spinner AM Ghazanfar was handed the responsibility of bowling the crucial 18th over. The over began with a dot ball before complete chaos unfolded on the second delivery. Krunal lofted the ball towards wide long-on where Naman Dhir grabbed the catch near the ropes and parried it towards Tilak Varma to avoid stepping onto the boundary cushion. But Tilak failed to collect the relay cleanly because of a misunderstanding between the two fielders, leading to confusion among MI players over whether it should count as a six. For a few moments, even the fielders themselves appeared unsure. Tilak believed the ball had crossed the ropes during the relay attempt, while Naman insisted he had stayed inside the boundary. Eventually, the third umpire confirmed it was not a six, and since Krunal had not attempted a run, the dramatic sequence ended as a dot ball. But the missed opportunity still proved costly for Mumbai. Krunal responded immediately by smashing two massive sixes later in the over, swinging momentum back towards RCB and silencing the Mumbai camp. Just when it looked like the all-rounder might pull off a stunning finish, Ghazanfar produced a crucial breakthrough on the final ball of the over. Krunal attempted another big hit towards long-on, but this time Tilak Varma pulled off a sensational juggling effort near the ropes. Running sharply to his left, Tilak grabbed the catch, lobbed the ball back into play just before crossing the boundary, and then completed the catch on the second attempt after re-entering the field. The stunning effort ended Krunal’s fighting knock of 73 off 46 balls, packed with four boundaries and five sixes, and left RCB needing 18 runs from the final 12 balls. The drama still wasn’t over. Jasprit Bumrah then delivered a trademark pressure over in the 19th, conceding just three runs and seemingly pushing Mumbai into a winning position heading into the final over with RCB needing 15 runs. But Mumbai failed to close the game out. Youngster Raj Bawa could not defend the target in the final over as RCB completed a thrilling victory on the very last ball of the match, capping off one of the most dramatic finishes of IPL 2026.
