IPL 2026 Play of the Day: Bhuvneshwar’s Stunning Six Steals the Show in Raipur

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had already delivered the kind of night fast bowlers dream about in Raipur. Four wickets, early breakthroughs, clever variations and another leap in the Purple Cap race.

But just when it seemed his job was done, he produced the shot that ended up defining the match. Not Krunal Pandya’s gritty half-century through visible cramps. Not Mumbai Indians’ late comeback. Not even the final-ball drama that sealed the result for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The moment everyone remembered was Bhuvneshwar stepping up in the final over and smashing a stunning six over covers that completely swung the game back in RCB’s favour.

And somehow, that one shot felt bigger than the four wickets he had already claimed earlier in the night.

RCB’s chase of 167 had looked under control for large stretches thanks to Krunal Pandya’s fighting 73 off 46 balls. But once the all-rounder finally departed after battling cramps for nearly half his innings, the momentum shifted again. Mumbai Indians sensed an opening.

Then came a trademark over from Jasprit Bumrah. The MI pace spearhead tightened the screws brilliantly in the 19th over, dragging the game deep and leaving Raj Bawa to defend 15 runs in the final over. With pressure building and wickets falling, Mumbai suddenly looked favourites.

But the final over quickly spiralled into chaos.

Three wides. A no-ball. A wicket. Nerves everywhere.

Even after Romario Shepherd fell trying to force the pace, RCB still had hope because Mumbai failed to fully shut the door. That was when Bhuvneshwar walked in.

For most of his IPL career, Bhuvneshwar has built a reputation as a bowler who destroys batting line-ups, not someone who finishes tense run chases with towering sixes. In fact, his previous IPL six had come all the way back in 2016 — the same season he won the Purple Cap with Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Yet there he was in Raipur, under immense pressure, calmly slicing Raj Bawa over covers for a six that instantly changed the mood of the chase. The RCB dugout erupted because everyone understood the significance of that strike.

Mumbai never truly recovered after that moment.

The dramatic finish also underlined just how important Krunal Pandya’s innings had been. RCB’s chase had started disastrously. Virat Kohli fell for a second consecutive duck, while Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar departed soon after, leaving the side reeling at 39/3.

Krunal then rebuilt patiently against his former franchise before shifting gears smartly against spin. The physical battle became as gripping as the cricket itself once cramps started troubling him in the closing overs. At one stage, he could barely move between deliveries.

Still, he somehow found enough strength to launch AM Ghazanfar for back-to-back sixes in the 18th over, seemingly putting RCB on course for victory.

But after his dismissal, the game tilted once again.

That is what made Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s six feel so decisive.

A bowler who had already dominated with the ball ended up delivering the most important shot of the match with the bat too — the kind of improbable twist only the IPL can consistently produce.