Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin defended Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli for his slow half-century against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2026. Ashwin said match situations can sometimes prevent a batter from accelerating and added that Kohli not being able to shift gears was acceptable.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an intense evening match at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 12. They secured their third win of the season and are in third place in the table. Virat Kohli scored 50 runs from 38 balls at a strike rate of 131.58, including five fours and one six.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about Virat Kohli’s knock amid criticism in the cricketing community. Ashwin said that RCB could have crossed 260 if power hitters like Tim David were used when Kohli struggled to accelerate.
“This is not about right or wrong. In T20 cricket, sometimes you have days like this where the tempo just doesn’t allow you to accelerate. Today, Virat was not able to accelerate, and that’s completely fine," Ashwin said.
"If Mumbai had brought in a power hitter like Tim David or Shepherd earlier - they could have reached 260. You understand what I’m saying, right? But today, it didn’t look like Virat could shift gears. The same thing happened with Ruturaj recently," he added.
Ravi Ashwin ?️ : "There is nothing to worry about Kohli innings,he was trying to go aggressive but it was just not his day sometimes it happens and it's fine." pic.twitter.com/X8glF5lA6c
— Dive (@crickohlic) April 13, 2026Virat Kohli Achieves Massive Milestone Against Mumbai Indians
Despite criticism for his strike rate, Virat Kohli reached a major milestone in this match. He became the first player to score over 1000 runs against Mumbai Indians in T20s, going past players like KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan.
Kohli started well, scoring 20 runs from his first 11 balls and quickly reached the milestone. He went on to score 50 runs, hitting five fours and one six, before suffering an ankle injury that ruled him out of fielding.
KL Rahul is second on the list with 977 runs against Mumbai Indians. Kohli has also crossed 1000 runs against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Punjab Kings (PBKS) during his career with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Secure Victory Over Mumbai Indians
Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured an 18-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on April 12 to return to winning ways in IPL 2026. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya chose to bowl first after winning the toss, but RCB’s batters dominated from the start.
Phil Salt scored a quick 78 off 36 balls, while Virat Kohli added 50 from 38 deliveries. Rajat Patidar continued his strong form with 53 off just 20 balls, helping RCB post a big total of 240/4 in 20 overs. Trent Boult, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Santner, and Shardul Thakur took one wicket each.
Mumbai Indians struggled to keep up with the required rate throughout the chase. Sherfane Rutherford fought back with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls, but his effort was not enough as the team finished at 225/5. Suyash Sharma picked up two wickets for RCB.
Mumbai Indians recorded their third consecutive loss, leaving them eighth with one win in four matches. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have now won three of their four games and moved up to third place.
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin slams Hardik Pandya’s “Very Average” call after Rajat Patidar carnage in MI vs RCB
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