Krunal Pandya turned emotional after helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru pull off 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 the bond shared during Mumbai Indians’ golden era still remains special for him years later.
Krunal produced a heroic 73 off 46 balls despite battling severe cramps to guide RCB to a thrilling two-wicket win in Raipur, officially knocking Mumbai out of the IPL 2026 playoff race. 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 at Mumbai Indians and the role played by Pollard and Hardik in shaping that successful core group.
“Kieron is my big brother, right? I mean, I had my best six years in MI. I remember the Pandya brothers and Kieron Pollard were the engine room. We won a lot of games with bat, ball and fielding,” Krunal said.
“I still remember in 2021 when we were playing our last game, the three of us held each other’s hand and felt like okay, 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 a terrific human being, goat of this format, won so many trophies and games.”
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Krunal also revealed one particular line from Pollard that stayed with him through difficult moments in his career.
“As they say, you’re right, Kieron always used to tell me that you can’t keep a good man down,” he added.
The innings itself felt like a throwback to Krunal’s best Mumbai Indians days. He steadied the innings first with Jacob Bethell before later switching gears despite cramps taking over in the closing overs. Two massive sixes off AM Ghazanfar in the 18th over proved crucial in a chase that eventually went down to the final ball, where Rasikh Salam Dar scrambled back for the winning second run.
HOW KRUNAL PANDYA HELPED RCB BEAT MI
RCB’s chase looked shaky almost immediately after Mumbai reduced them to 39/3 inside the Powerplay. Bengaluru had not managed to win a game this season after losing two or more wickets in the Powerplay, and with the pressure of a steep chase building, the situation demanded someone to hold the innings together.
Krunal read the moment perfectly. Rather than forcing shots early, he focused on stabilising the chase, rotating strike smartly and rebuilding partnerships while wickets continued to fall around him. His stand with Jacob Bethell helped RCB settle down before he gradually shifted gears once the game entered the middle overs.
Even as cramps began troubling him badly towards the end, Krunal kept finding boundaries at crucial moments. His two sixes off AM Ghazanfar in the 18th over completely shifted the momentum back towards Bengaluru and ensured the equation never spiralled out of control.
By the time he got out for 73 off 46 balls, RCB were still under pressure, but Krunal had dragged them close enough for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam Dar to complete the job in dramatic fashion off the final ball.
HOW GOOD WAS KRUNAL PANDYA IN MI?
For Mumbai Indians fans, Saturday night’s innings felt like a reminder of the Krunal Pandya they had watched during the franchise’s most successful years.
Between 2016 and 2021, Krunal became one of MI’s most reliable big-match players, regularly stepping up with bat, ball and in the field during pressure situations. While stars like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Kieron Pollard often grabbed the spotlight, Krunal quietly became one of the glue players in that championship-winning core.
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 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 victory over Delhi Capitals.
That ability to absorb pressure and deliver in crunch moments was exactly what resurfaced against MI on Saturday night. The opposition may have changed, but Krunal once again looked like the same player built for big occasions.
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