Ravichandran Ashwin picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar's match-winning performance against Mumbai Indians (MI) as the defining moment of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026. Ashwin rated it as RCB's most important contribution of the season, even ahead of several memorable innings played by Virat Kohli.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced Mumbai Indians on a challenging surface in Raipur during the 10th league match of the tournament. The Rajat Patidar-led team secured a thrilling two-wicket victory on the final ball after restricting Mumbai Indians to 166/7 and successfully chasing the target in a tense contest.
Ravichandran Ashwin Names RCB's Highest Moment Of IPL 2026
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar's performance against Mumbai Indians as the defining moment of RCB. Ashwin said that the veteran pacer's all-round contribution was better among the many match-winning knocks played by others.
Bhuvneshwar produced a brilliant spell with the ball, dismissing Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav inside the powerplay before removing Tilak Varma for 57. He finished with outstanding figures of 4/23.
The veteran also made an impact with the bat, smashing a crucial six when RCB needed 10 runs from the final three deliveries to seal a dramatic victory.
The experienced fast bowler enjoyed an excellent IPL 2026 season and played a key role in RCB's title-winning campaign. Bhuvneshwar finished with 28 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 17.89 and an economy rate of 7.95, ending the tournament as one of the leading wicket-takers.
Ashwin Picks RCB's Only Low Point Of IPL 2026 Campaign
Ravichandran Ashwin also picked out what he felt was RCB's only low point during their successful IPL 2026 campaign. The former India spinner said the team made a few tactical mistakes by opening the bowling with Jacob Duffy instead of experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Ashwin explained that this decision was the only notable flaw in an otherwise outstanding season. He felt RCB were at their best when they trusted 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 the playoffs, including the final. Despite those minor tactical errors, RCB remained one of the strongest teams in the tournament and successfully defended their IPL title.
They Didn't Just Pick a 11 for the Sake of It - Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin said that Royal Challengers Bengaluru showed excellent planning and a strong winning mindset throughout the season. Ashwin was impressed by how RCB used their final league match to prepare for the playoffs instead of fielding their regular XI.
"I'll give RCB 10.5/10. Reason for the extra half is that they didn't just pick a 11 for the sake of it. Even after qualifying, they used the final SRH match to play Jacob Duffy and open with Venkatesh Iyer as a trial for the playoffs," Ashwin said.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished at the top of 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 only the third franchise after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to win back-to-back titles.
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