In the IPL 2026 match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, players from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians wore black armbands to pay tribute to legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle, who passed away at the age of 92. Both teams also observed a moment of silence before the match began. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to field first, citing the favorable conditions for chasing. He emphasized the importance of playing their best cricket and making the most of the good pitches. RCB, led by captain Rajat Patidar, made a strategic change by including Jacob Duffy in place of Josh Hazlewood. Patidar expressed confidence in their ability to set a challenging total, highlighting the team's resilience despite recent struggles. Historically, Virat Kohli has been a standout performer against the Mumbai Indians, amassing 922 runs in 34 matches against them, while Rohit Sharma has scored 629 runs in 26 matches against RCB.