Krunal Pandya became emotional after helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a dramatic win over Mumbai Indians on Saturday night as memories of his old MI days alongside brother Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard came flooding back. The all-rounder admitted that the bond shared during Mumbai Indians’ golden era remains special to him even years later.
Krunal produced a heroic 73 off 46 balls despite battling severe cramps to lead RCB to a thrilling two-wicket win in Raipur, officially knocking Mumbai out of the play-off race of IPL 2026. RCB were in deep trouble at 39/3 in the Powerplay before Krunal rebuilt the chase almost single-handedly under pressure.
IPL, RCB vs MI: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Krunal reflected on his years with Mumbai Indians and the role Pollard and Hardik played in shaping that successful core group.
“Kieron is my big brother, isn’t he? I mean, I had my best six years at MI. I remember the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard were the engine room. We won a lot of games with bat, ball and field,” Krunal said.
“I still remember in 2021 when we played our last game, the three of us holding hands and feeling good, this is the last time we’ll be able to play together. It was obviously an emotional moment again, but I love Kieron Pollard. He’s an amazing human being, a goat of this format, he’s won so many trophies and games.”
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Krunal also revealed one particular line from Pollard that has stuck with him despite the tough times in his career.
“As they say, you’re right, Kieron always told me you don’t insult a good man,” he added.
The innings itself was like a throwback to Krunal’s best Mumbai Indians days. He first steadied the innings with Jacob Bethell before switching gears later, despite cramps prevailing in the final overs. Two massive sixes from AM Ghazanfar in the 18th over proved crucial in the chase which eventually led to the final ball where Rasikh Salam Dar scrambled back for the winning second run.
HOW KRUNAL PANDYA HELPED RCB BEAT ME
RCB’s chase looked precarious almost immediately after Mumbai reduced them to 39/3 in the Powerplay. Bengaluru have failed to win a match this season after losing two or more wickets in the Powerplay and with the pressure of a steep chase, the situation required someone to hold the innings together.
Krunal read the moment perfectly. Rather than forcing early shots, he focused on stabilizing the chase, cleverly rotating his strike and rebuilding partnerships while wickets kept falling around him. His stand with Jacob Bethell helped RCB settle down before he gradually shifted gears once the game entered the middle overs.
Even though he started suffering from cramps towards the end, Krunal still found boundaries at crucial moments. His two sixes off AM Ghazanfar in the 18th over completely shifted the momentum back to Bengaluru and ensured that the equation never got out of hand.
By the time he got to 73 off 46 balls, RCB were still under pressure but Krunal pulled them close enough for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam Dar to finish the job in dramatic fashion off the last ball.
HOW GOOD WAS KRUNAL PANDYA IN MI?
For Mumbai Indians fans, Saturday’s innings felt like a reminder of the Krunal Pandya they watched during the franchise’s most successful years.
Between 2016 and 2021, Krunal became one of MI’s most reliable players in big matches, regularly coming on with bat, ball and in the field during pressure situations. While stars like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Kieron Pollard have often grabbed the limelight, Krunal has quietly become one of the glue players at the core of the championship-winning side.
One of his most memorable performances came in the 2017 IPL final against Rising Pune Supergiant, where his 47 in a low-scoring game earned him the Player of the Match as MI won the title by just one run. He also hit the winning runs in Mumbai’s 2020 IPL final over Delhi Capitals.
That ability to absorb pressure and deliver in crunch moments was exactly what came out again against MI on Saturday night. The opponent may have changed, but Krunal once again looked like the same player built for big occasions.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
May 11, 2026 0:54 AM IST
