Ravichandran Ashwin, a former bowler for India, thinks that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is really hoping the Mumbai Indians (MI) don’t make it to the IPL final. Ashwin, who played for Chennai Super Kings this season, shared that RCB would rather not face the five-time champs in the final. He believes that MI is RCB’s biggest challenge if they want to win their first title.
Ashwin mentioned that if RCB has a chance, they’d prefer to play against the Gujarat Titans instead, especially if they get past MI in their next game. RCB secured their spot in the final with a solid eight-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1. “If RCB wants to win the IPL, Gujarat Titans need to beat Mumbai Indians. You can’t let MI into the final; you have to stop them,” Ashwin said in a chat on his YouTube channel, ‘Ash Ki Baat.’
He continued, “RCB will be hoping for no Mumbai Indians in the final. MI is the one team that could really challenge RCB. It seems like RCB is on a roll, but cricket is unpredictable. If I were RCB, I’d want to face the Gujarat Titans.”
Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in late 2024, also mentioned that this season feels like it could be RCB’s year, especially with Virat Kohli’s recent successes. “I don’t want to just focus on Virat, but I can’t shake off the feeling that this is RCB’s time. Kohli didn’t have an ICC title; people always pointed that out. Now, within a year, he’s won the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy,” he noted.
RCB made it to the final by demolishing Punjab Kings, bowling them out for just 101 runs, and Phil Salt hit a quick half-century to finish the chase in just 10 overs. Now, the Mumbai Indians are set to face the Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator on May 30, with the winner going on to play Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 for a shot at meeting RCB in the final.