Krunal Pandya from Royal Challengers Bengaluru talked about leaning on his ten years of experience to help his team beat Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in a nail-biter match on Monday. When it looked like Mumbai might chase down a tough target of 222, with Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma scoring quickly, Krunal kept his cool and took three wickets in the final over, stopping Mumbai at 209 for nine.
Krunal said, With all the games I’ve played over the past decade, I had to really focus. It’s about committing fully when it counts. He ended the match with impressive figures of 4 for 45. RCB snagged their first win at Wankhede Stadium in ten years, which was a big deal for the team.
Talking about his brother Hardik, who was hitting some big shots, Krunal expressed their mutual support. At the end of the day, we knew only one of us could win. The bond we share is strong. He batted well, and while we both wanted to win, I still feel for him, Krunal noted.
He praised RCB’s captain Rajat Patidar for standing by his players, which has contributed to their strong start in IPL 2025. RCB is currently in third place with six points from four matches, while MI has only two from five.
Krunal shared, “Rajat has been great. He gives players the comfort to execute their game plan. He keeps things simple, and it’s been a good experience playing under him. Jitesh (Sharma) has also stepped up in his role.”
When asked if RCB could finally win the IPL this season, Krunal said, I don’t want to jinx it, but we all know what we’re aiming for. I just want to keep my head down and keep winning.
MI captain Hardik acknowledged that the wicket was favorable for batting. It was a run-fest. Our bowlers struggled on that surface. We fell just short, maybe by 5-10 runs. Execution is crucial, but I don’t want to blame my bowlers too much—it was a tough pitch.
Despite the loss, Hardik was pleased to have Jasprit Bumrah back from injury. Having him on the team is a huge boost. He came back and performed well. It’s all about staying positive and encouraging one another to play our best cricket.