Mayank Markande has been under scrutiny for his performances in recent matches, particularly against Rajat Patidar. In the IPL 2026 match held at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to field first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Markande, along with Mitchell Santner, was brought into the playing XI, replacing Chahar and Ghazanfar. RCB captain Rajat Patidar confirmed that Jacob Duffy had replaced Josh Hazlewood in their lineup.

The Mumbai Indians’ playing XI featured notable players such as Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah, while RCB included stars like Virat Kohli and Tim David.

During the match, Mayank Markande struggled significantly, conceding 40 runs in just two overs, resulting in an economy rate of 20.00. This performance drew criticism, particularly from cricket analyst Ravichandran Ashwin, who noted that Patidar was able to hit Markande effectively.

“Rajat Patidar announced that he is a spin hitter. He was hitting Markande into every corner,” Ashwin remarked, further adding, “Not the smartest of moves. Very, very average.”

Overall, Mumbai’s spinners had a tough outing, conceding a total of 83 runs in six overs. Jasprit Bumrah, another key player for Mumbai, has now gone wicketless in five consecutive IPL matches, including the last game of IPL 2025 and four matches in IPL 2026.

Despite the challenges, Patidar expressed optimism, stating, “The way we’ve played the last few matches, there are a lot of positives.” This sentiment reflects a focus on improvement as the tournament progresses.

As the IPL continues, observers will be watching closely to see if Markande can bounce back from this performance and regain his form, which has been a topic of discussion among fans and analysts alike.