IPL 2026 | Why Raj Angad Bawa bowled the last over: Suryakumar Yadav explains bold call vs RCB
Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a dramatic two-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians on the final ball, eliminating MI from the tournament. Despite a late surge, MI's captain's final over gamble didn't pay off. RCB's win propels them to the top of the IPL 2026 points table, boosting their playoff aspirations.
NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians captain Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to hand the last over to young Raj Angad Bawa did not go as planned, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru held their nerve in a pulsating last-ball thriller at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Sunday. With this win, RCB have knocked Mumbai Indians out of the tournament with a dramatic two-wicket victory. After Jasprit Bumrah’s penultimate over, which went for just three runs and left RCB needing 15 off the final six balls, Suryakumar entrusted Bawa with the responsibility of bowling the final over.
The call came despite Allah Ghazanfar still having one over left and Will Jacks with two. Chasing 167 on a surface that had troubled batters all evening, RCB rode on Krunal Pandya’s fighting 73 and an astonishing late cameo from Bhuvneshwar Kumar to seal the contest on the final delivery. When Suryakumar came for the post-match chat, he was asked about the decision to hand Bawa the final over.
"I think he (Raj Bawa) had been practicing that (death bowling) really well and he was a complete different all rounder this year. Almost pulled it off for us," Surya said. "I think we were 10-15 runs short.
We can say wrong timing of wickets (while batting). Naman and Tilak batted beautifully and showed character. I think these are the things you practice a lot with the fielding.