India, May 11 -- Mumbai Indians officially became the first team to be eliminated from the playoff race in IPL 2026 after a heartbreaking defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday. The five-time champions failed to defend 15 runs in the final over as RCB chased down 167 in a last-ball thriller at their adopted home ground - the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Suryakumar Yadav, who filled in as captain in place of the injured Hardik Pandya, admitted the early elimination was a bitter pill to swallow.

The season never quite went the way Mumbai intended, as they failed to build any momentum. Their elimination had long seemed inevitable before it was officially confirmed in Raipur, where the defending champi...