Krunal Pandya, who played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) thrilling 12-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI), said he feels bad for his brother Hardik Pandya after the match.
Krunal, who was once a star player for Mumbai and helped them win three IPL titles, bowled the final over of the match in front of a loud Wankhede crowd. He took three crucial wickets and helped RCB secure their first win at that stadium in 10 years. Krunal finished with impressive bowling figures of 4 wickets for 45 runs.
In the final over, Mumbai needed 19 runs to win. On the first ball, Krunal got Mitchell Santner out in the deep. On the second ball, Deepak Chahar was caught on the boundary thanks to a smart team effort by Phil Salt and Tim David. Mumbai needed two sixes off the last two balls to tie the game, but Naman Dhir’s big shot was caught near the boundary. Krunal celebrated loudly as the win was confirmed.
After the match, Krunal spoke about his bond with Hardik. “Only one Pandya could win today. I feel for him. We both wanted to win, and even though we love and support each other, only one of us could be happy today,” Krunal said during the post-match interview. “Hardik batted well, but I had to do my job.”
Krunal also said he had to use all of his experience from the past 10 years to stay calm and deliver in the final over. “In moments like this, full commitment is important. I was clear about what kind of balls I wanted to bowl, and I gave it my 100%,” he added.
RCB’s next match is against Delhi Capitals on April 10 in Bengaluru.
