Krunal Pandya reflected on his match-winning performance with immense satisfaction after guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a dramatic victory over Mumbai Indians in a crucial IPL 2026 clash. The experienced all-rounder admitted the emotions were still sinking in after helping RCB secure two valuable points in the race for the playoffs.
“I mean, it’s still very fresh, but I’m really happy that I was able to contribute, especially when the team needed it the most, so it’s quite satisfying, and again, at a crucial juncture of the tournament where we needed these two points, right? And, you know, wins like this always help as a team, right? So, really, really happy about it. And yeah, just a lot of gratitude,” Krunal Pandya said in a video released
by RCB.
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Walking in during a tense chase with Bengaluru reeling at 39/3, Krunal revealed that his approach was always to absorb the pressure before launching an attack. The pitch in Raipur proved difficult for batters throughout the game, making strokeplay far from straightforward.
“Obviously, it was quite tough. When I went in to bat, we had already lost three wickets. But when I went in, my intent was very clear that I wanted to get into good positions. And, you know, Beth (Jacob Bethell) and I had a chat. A lot of credit goes to Beth. He stuck it out, and we built a very crucial partnership of 40–50 runs,” he added.
“Glad that I was able to contribute when the team needed me the most.” ❤️🫡
Krunal Klutch Pandya was full of gratitude after playing that innings of a lifetime. 😇🙌 pic.twitter.com/NFOA54or6B
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 11, 2026
Krunal’s Match-Winning Heroics
The left-hander produced one of the finest innings of his IPL career, smashing 73 from 46 deliveries with four boundaries and five towering sixes. Despite battling severe cramps in both legs and his back, Krunal refused to leave the field and continued fighting for his side.
“Later on, the cramps were very painful. I was cramping in both legs. But I was clear that I was not going to go out, but fight through that pain and contribute whatever I can. This was a very crucial game for us; every game matters at the fag end of the tournament,” Krunal had revealed at the post-match presentation after RCB pipped MI by two wickets in a last-ball thriller.
(With inputs from Agencies)
