New Delhi: Fans were eagerly waiting for the IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians Apart from the high-profile encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, the spotlight was also on the much-anticipated face-off between the batsmen. Virat Kohli And Rohit SharmaKnown for their long-standing friendship.When the teams took the field, players from both sides were seen wearing black armbands.Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya walked out to the toss wearing a black armband and chose to field against Royal Challengers Bengaluru to win it.
Why were there? RCB And MI players wearing black armbands?
After the death of the legendary playback singer, both teams wore black armbands Asha Bhoslewho died on Sunday at the age of 92. Before the start of the match, the players observed a moment of silence in his memory.Coming into the fixture, both sides were looking to bounce back from setbacks against Rajasthan Royals, where they were beaten by 15-year-old sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi.Mumbai Indians were aiming to snap a two-match losing streak, while defending champions RCB were looking to get back to winning ways after being outclassed in their previous match.Historically, in IPL clashes between the two sides, Virat Kohli has enjoyed the upper hand. The RCB star has scored 922 runs at an average of 31.79 and a strike rate of 128.77 in 34 matches (33 innings) against Mumbai Indians, including six fifties.Rohit Sharma, who has also faced Kohli during his stint with the Deccan Chargers, has represented Mumbai Indians in 26 matches against RCB, scoring 629 runs in 25 innings at an average of 27.34 and a strike rate of over 142, including four fifties and a highest score of 94.
