Krunal Pandya (Screengrab) NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off a thrilling two-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 as they chased down 167 off the last ball in Raipur. The star of the chase was Krunal Pandya who scored a fighting 73 off 46 balls despite struggling badly with cramps during the innings. RCB were struggling at 39/3 when Krunal came on, but he settled the innings with important partnerships alongside Jacob Bethell and Jitesh Sharma before Bhuvneshwar Kumar sealed victory.
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Why Suryakumar Yadav Will Lose India T20I Captaincy: Everything You Need To KnowKrunal later admitted that pressure situations bring out the best in him. He said the pitch was not easy for big shots and required patience and smart cricket strokes.“Obviously I love tough situations and I always prepare for them and look forward to them. Obviously I wanted to finish the match but I couldn’t but the shot Bhuvi played was the hit of the match. It was a wicket where you have to play cricket shots. It’s not the kind of wicket where you line up the bowlers. You have to apply yourself, grind and play the stroke,” said Krunal.Watch Krunal Pandya’s emotional speech:Krunal revealed that he struggled to hold himself in a cramp throughout the innings and was physically exhausted towards the end.“I had a lot of cramping. It started in my calf, it went to my glutes and it went to my back. So I had a lot of cramping. I don’t usually burn that long,” he said.After the match, Krunal became emotional while talking about former Mumbai Indians teammate Kieron Pollard, calling him a “big brother”. Reflecting on his six successful years with MI, he remembered the bond shared by Pollard and the Pandya brothers.“Polly (Kieron Pollard) is my big brother… the GOAT of this stature… and as he says, you don’t insult a good man,” said Krunal.
