Krunal Pandya indirectly targets Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians' teammates after RCB loss

Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya has indirectly targeted Mumbai Indians captain and his brother Hardik Pandya’s teammates after the five-time champions suffered their fourth defeat in the ongoing IPL 2025 on Monday (April 7).

In one of the most exciting matches of IPL 2025, Krunal Pandya emerged as a hero as Royal Challengers Bengaluru crushed Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in a high-scoring thriller at the Wankhede Stadium. The match saw the Pandya brothers—Krunal and Hardik—facing off.

But it was Krunal who delivered when it mattered most. He bowled a brilliant spell, picking up 4 wickets for 45 runs in his four overs and playing a key role in RCB’s victory. RCB had set a big target of 221 runs, but MI stayed in the chase, thanks to Hardik Pandya's aggressive knock.

Krunal Pandya outclasses Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians slump to fourth defeat in the IPL 2025

The Indian all-rounder played a blistering knock of 42 runs off just 15 balls and was well supported by Tilak Varma (56 runs off 29) as the duo added 89 runs off 34 balls for the fifth wicket against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the packed Wankhede Stadium.

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MI looked strong at 181 for 4 after 17 overs, and the game was slipping away from RCB, but Krunal had different plans. With 19 runs needed off the final 6 balls and Mitchell Santner looking steady, Krunal dismissed him with the first ball of the 19th over using a clever full-length delivery.

The over turned out to be a game-changer, as the spinner then removed Deepak Chahar and the dangerous Naman Dhir in the same over, taking three wickets while conceding only six runs. This crushing final over sealed the game for RCB as MI suffered a 12-run defeat at home.

I feel for Hardik Pandya: Krunal Pandya after RCB's win

Meanwhile, Krunal shared his feelings after the intense match against his brother Hardik, saying their bond remains strong no matter the result. The RCB all-rounder admitted that they knew that only one of them could win, and he was happy that his team won, but he also felt for Hardik.

Krunal Pandya said at the post-match press conference, “The bond that we have, at the end of the day, we knew only one (Pandya) would win. But the love and affection we have for each other are very natural. He (Hardik) batted well. We won, and I also wanted to win; he also wanted to win. I feel for him.”

The RCB star also said that he had to use all his experience from the past ten years to help his team win the thriller against the MI at the Wankhede Stadium. With this win, RCB strengthened their position at number three with 6 points in the IPL 2025 points table.

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Krunal Pandya opens up about his heroics against MI and Rajat Patidar's captaincy

Krunal Pandya explained, “The amount of games I have played in the last 10 years, whatever experience I had, it had to come in right. Sometimes, you want to commit, but you know it is important to commit 100 percent. So, the execution becomes much on your side. I was clear in a way where I wanted to commit fully to whatever ball I wanted to bowl.”

The star all-rounder also lauded Rajat Patidar’s captaincy in the ongoing IPL 2025, and it's been a good experience for him to play under the new RCB skipper.

Krunal signed off by saying, “Rajat has been terrific the way he has started. A captain who gives you that comfort, he gives you the ball and backs your game plan. Sometimes, as a bowler, you want that. He has a calm demeanor and does not make things complicated.”