Royal Challengers Bengaluru win by 18 runs Mumbai Indians IPL also brought to Wankhede Stadium in 2026 Jaspreet BumrahA remarkable wicketless run with the Indian spinner in focus again Ravichandran Ashwin Stepping in to defend Star Pacer. Along with Again went wicketless as MI conceded 240/4 and were later reduced to 222/5 despite a brilliant unbeaten 71 runs. Sheriff Rutherford. It marked another disappointing outing for the MI spearhead, whose struggles have now spanned two IPL seasons. In fact, Bumrah’s last five IPL bowling stats indicate a rare drought. He took 0/40 (4) vs PBKS in Ahmedabad, 0/35 (4) vs KKR in Wankhede, 0/21 (4) vs DC Delhi, 0/32 (3) vs RR Guwahati, and 0/35 (4) vs RCB in Wankhede. In total, he has now bowled 122 wickets, the longest wicketless streak of his IPL career. However, Ravichandran Ashwin pushed back against Bumrah’s criticism, stressing that focusing only on wickets does not reflect his true impact on the game. Taking X, he warned that such narratives could be misleading for teams. “The narrative of a lack of wickets for Bumrah can hamper the team’s cause. That yorker and strangling the opposition for every run is more important than wanting to get wickets, especially at venues like Wankhede,” Ashwin said.
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He further explained the reality of T20 bowling tactics, adding, “When you can’t bowl overs on the trot, your ability to take wickets depends on your partners giving you overs. We’ve had many years of T20 cricket now, and bowling in partnership as a defensive group is still a badge of mind for the bowling unit,” Ashwin added. In the context of the match, RCB’s batting prowess once again proved decisive, with Phil Salt (78), Virat Kohli (50) And Rajat Patidar (53 off 20) took them to 240/4 before their bowlers held their nerve in the final overs despite a late onslaught from Rutherford. Ashwin’s comments added a broader perspective to Bumrah’s performance, highlighting how his control and economy in high-scoring conditions remain as valuable as wickets, even as MI continue to struggle in their recent matches.
