Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore (240/4 in 20 overs) beat Mumbai Indians (222/5 in 20 overs) by 18 runs on Sunday in Mumbai. highlighted | Achievement:

It was a night of some vintage music at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 12. Fans and players start the game Remembering the late great Asha BhosleAnd his classic numbers kept echoing in the stadium during the match. But when it came to RCB’s batting, it was complete rock and roll.

And the repetition came in the form of a sudden siege – RCB, the RCB mantra that sank Mumbai that day and handed them their third consecutive defeat. On the same ground, RCB made their title aspirations clear in 2025 with a spectacular win against MI. Wankhede is the same venue where he scored 235 runs for the loss of one wicket in 2015. And tonight, they made it a little more. Correction, a little more salt-y.

The defending champions were looking to bounce back from form after their defeat to Vaibhav Suryavanshi and RR in their last game. MI had also received a similar treatment and were looking to bounce back after two consecutive defeats.

Winning the toss is always seen as an advantage and Hardik Pandya took advantage of this and decided to bowl first. Given his poor form in 2026, the opportunity to bowl to Phil Salt was considered good for the MI bowlers. Kohli, on the other hand, looked to be in good form and raring to go.

The star batsman started by hitting a six off the third ball and then, suddenly, it seemed as if magically the form transferred from Kohli to Salt as the Englishman started going frantic at the Wankhede.

Salt Pepper Spinners

Wankhede is seen as a graveyard for bowlers, and if you are a spinner, the chances of coming back with good figures are slim. Hardik got a chance to call Mitchell Santner and Salt welcomed him with a hat-trick of sixes and a four.

Mayank Markandey also got a similar treatment on the night, hitting three fours and then a six off his first three balls. Salt completed his half-century in just 50 balls and it was a relief for him after a poor start to the season.

MI’s powerplay bowling has been a real concern for them this season, and their inability to stop Salt meant RCB reached 95 runs in 8 overs.

Kohli’s day off

While Salt worked hard to find runs, at the other end it seemed like Kohli was unable to find any kind of rhythm. Over the years, Kohli’s change in approach has been seen as a benchmark for the rest of the giants on how to reinvent themselves.

After starting with some great shots, Kohli’s striking faltered and by the first strategic break, he looked like just a passenger as Salt took control.

As the break ended, Kohli raised hopes by hitting a few fours, but as Salt was out for 78 off 36 balls, he collapsed once again.

Thankfully for RCB, Rajat Patidar came in like a passionate man and attacked the bowlers fiercely from the start. MI usually makes their way into contests during the middle overs, but the RCB skipper made sure that was not the case.

He dismissed Mayank Markandey for 20 runs and then Shardul Thakur for 23 runs. At one time it seemed that Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record of fastest half-century was in serious danger.

When Patidar came in, Kohli was on 39 runs after 11 overs and by the end of the 14th over the difference was just three runs. Kohli completed his half-century but was out soon after. And the reaction said a thousand words.

While returning, he threw away his gloves and helmet in agony. It is not possible to always commit to the same method, and this may have been a pitfall for Kohli.

Do MI have a Bumrah issue?

On paper, MI is a world-class team, and their crown jewel is Jasprit Bumrah. But recently his exploits have not yielded the desired results.

In his last five matches, he has remained wicketless – his longest such streak since he started playing in the IPL.

The effect of Bumrah’s poor performance can also be felt on the rest of the bowlers, who continued to give away runs even after Patidar completed his half-century. He was also joined by former MI player Tim David, who first dismissed Hardik in the 18th over and then Bumrah in the 19th over.

After this he ended the matter by hitting a six on the last ball and RCB scored 240 runs.

Rohit’s sad day

That day was celebrated as the Battle of Ro-Ko, and rightly so. They are two of the biggest names in Indian cricket currently, but by their standards both had a disappointing day. Rohit started as second partner to Ryan Rickelton, who hit some big shots and ensured MI maintained the run rate early on. However, it felt as if MI were always playing catch-up.

“We are planning about how to gain momentum in the powerplay. Whether batting or bowling, we are holding in the powerplay. A lot of options will be asked and given in the next game,” Hardik said.

Rohit took the innings forward by hitting a six and two fours on Duffy in the fourth over. But then, the former MI captain started struggling with hamstring problems And left the field.

This coincided with a sudden drop in the pace of Mumbai, which had lost its way. Rickelton’s stay ended in the eighth over and Tilak Verma’s poor form continued as Suyyash dismissed both the players. There was a brief phase of resistance or rather defiance from Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, who stitched a 47-run partnership. But Krunal came back to haunt his former team as he dismissed Suryakumar and pushed MI into further disarray.

Once Hardik was out in the 15th over, the writing was on the wall. This was a recurring issue, which was also seen during the loss to RR, where the scoreboard pressure started to bother them. The first game against KKR now looks like a false dawn for the five-time champions, as overcoming early match trouble hasn’t helped them in any meaningful way.

Despite the presence of T20 World Cup winners in the lineup, the middle order seems to be lacking both form and firepower. There was hope in the form of Sherfane Rutherford, who fought alone in the end and scored 71 runs in 31 balls, which included nine sixes.

For RCB, they got the win and got their season back on track, and will now return home to face LSG on Wednesday, April 15.

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20-year-old Ayush Shetty’s heroic performance at the Badminton Asia Championships came to an end on Sunday, April 12. Playing the men’s singles final against world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi, Ayush faltered in straight games, losing 8-21, 10-21 in just 41 minutes to settle for a silver medal in his maiden BAC campaign.

Ayush chased the game for most of the contest due to Shi Yu Qi’s control of the rally and his ability to play the right shots at the right time. The 30-year-old Chinese shuttler won her first Badminton Asia Championships title with a spectacular performance in the final.

Badminton Asia Championships: Ayush Shetty vs Shi Yu Qi Final Highlights

With the Asian title in hand, Shi Yue Qi has now added to her World Championship title tally, underscoring her status as one of the most complete players on the circuit at the moment.

However, the result should not take away from the tournament Ayush has produced. The 20-year-old made one of the most impressive runs in recent Indian men’s singles history, defeating World No. 7 Li Shi Feng in the opening round, World No. 20 Chi Yu Jen in the second, World No. 4 Jonathan Christie in the quarter-finals. and World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-finals. For a player in his maiden Badminton Asia Championships campaign, it was a great run.

In the final, Ayush had to come on the back foot right from the beginning. Shi’s accuracy around the net and her ability to read drifts ensured that she controlled the front court exchanges, leading 11–6 at the mid-game interval in the first game. From there, he increased the tempo, mixed up his angles and ended rallies with sharp cross-court smashes to end the game 21–8.

Ayush never recovered from that start.

The second game briefly painted a different picture. Operating from the slower part of the court, Ayush tightened her defense and began to meet Shea’s aggressive shots with more consistency. The Chinese player made mistakes at that stage, which helped Ayush take a 7-2 lead and signal a possible comeback.

But the window was small. Xi quickly recalculated, downplaying unforced errors and expanding rallies to find fault with Ayush. His versatility, especially in controlling speed and direction, changed the pace. The 7-2 lead soon dropped to 8-11 at halftime.

From there, the gap only widened.

Ayush tried to force the case with his aggressive shots to break the rhythm, but Shea’s defensive tenacity remained intact. Rallies began to lean one way and the Indians’ mistakes came under pressure. The second game ended 21–10, completing a very one-sided final in terms of scoreline if not tries.

The nature of the loss does not change the week’s big gains. The Badminton Asia Championships is one of the most competitive events on the calendar, often featuring a deeper field than even some World Tour events. Despite being a world champion and former world No. 1, it took Xi more than a decade to win the title.

For Ayush, this was the first final at this level, and the difference was clearly visible.

At the same time, the tournament has placed him firmly in the conversation at the top of the men’s singles. with Early exit of players like Lakshya Sen And PV Sindhu, it was Ayush who took India’s challenge to a draw. His ability to defeat four consecutive top-20 players highlighted both his physical ability and his composure under pressure.

It is also expected that this run will propel him into the top 20 of the world rankings, an important milestone at this stage of his career. With the BWF World Championships being held in India later this year, the country could have a number of men’s singles players in that bracket, which will strengthen its medal chances.

At present, Ayush left with the silver. But more importantly, he leaves with proof that he belongs at this level.

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MI vs RCB in Mumbai (ANI Image)

Mumbai Indians (MI) and defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face each other at the Wankhede Stadium for Match 20 of the IPL tonight, April 12, 2026. A high-voltage IPL encounter between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede is going to be headlined by the iconic rivalry between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Former India left-arm fast bowler Irfan Pathan believes that RCB may have the pace in the IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians, but RCB is ahead in terms of overall personnel. Both teams are losing to Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, raising questions ahead of this high-stakes encounter.