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The thrilling IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) created massive drama both on and off the field on May 10. Fans really enjoyed the last-ball thriller in Raipur, while former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath sparked the massive controversy because of his sensitive comment on Krunal Pandya during commentary.
The former Chennai Super Kings batter faced heavy backlash on social media after many fans misunderstood a statement he made while talking about Krunal Pandya suffering cramps during the tense run chase against Mumbai Indians in Raipur.
Krunal Pandya’s heroics and Ryan Rickelton’s sportsmanship win hearts in IPL 2026
The incident happened during RCB’s dramatic and successful chase of 167 runs against Mumbai Indians. Pandya was batting brilliantly under pressure and almost single-handedly keeping RCB alive in the match after MI bowlers dominated the top order.
Read Also: Krunal Pandya reveals horrifying stomach scar after heroic match-winning knock vs MI in IPL 2026
The experienced all-rounder played one of the best knocks of his career, smashing 73 runs off just 46 balls in a high-pressure situation. But during the crucial phase, Pandya started struggling badly with cramps in his leg because of the heat and pressure in Raipur.
At one stage, Krunal Pandya went down on the ground while holding his leg in pain. Despite the pressure of the contest and the match hanging by a thread at that moment, Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton quickly rushed towards Krunal and tried helping him stretch his leg.
Subramaniam Badrinath’s viral comment creates massive controversy in IPL 2026
During that moment, Badrinath made a light-hearted comment in Tamil while explaining the situation from a rival team’s perspective. The commentator said on air, “Look there, he already had a cramp in his leg... it's as if the opposition said, 'Hey, you die from that cramp!'—but - but even then, it's okay (Rickleton helped him).”
"Let him die of cramps on the ground" says former cricketer S Badrinath while doing Tamil commentary during the RCB MI game. How is this being tolerated, how's this funny? pic.twitter.com/qy8X7jXd73
— Deepak Bopanna (@dpkBopanna) May 11, 2026
Co-commentator: “So nice of Rickelton to help Krunal there”
— 𝑹𝑨𝑴𝑨𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑰 (@ramachari200) May 11, 2026
Badrinath: “Instead of helping, he should’ve just let him die there with cramps so RCB loses.” (laughs)🤡 pic.twitter.com/DJg0HvBgbG
However, many misunderstood the comments after short clips went viral online without full context. Soon, social media exploded with angry reactions, with several fans criticizing the former CSK batter for his comment on Pandya during the tough chase.
Subramaniam Badrinath clarifies viral ‘Let Him Die’ comment after social media backlash
As the controversy kept growing, Badrinath decided to publicly explain the entire situation and what he actually meant. The former Indian batter clarified that he was actually praising Ryan Rickelton and the Mumbai Indians for showing sportsmanship during such a tense match.
Badrinath explained that he intended to appreciate the fair-play spirit shown by Rickelton because Krunal Pandya was the player taking the game away from MI at that stage. He also said that his Tamil commentary was misunderstood by people who don’t know such expressions and humor.
Subramaniam Badrinath wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Let him [Krunal Pandya] die there"…that's not going to be my attitude. I will go and stretch him. Great gesture from Ryan Rickelton… Fair play points should be given to him and MI for that. This is what I said on air, for people who don’t understand colloquial Tamil.”
“Let him die there”… that’s not going to be my attitude. I will go and stretch him. Great gesture from Ryan Rickelton.. Fair Play points should be given to him and MI for that.
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) May 11, 2026
This is what I said on air, for people who don’t understand colloquial Tamil. 🙏
Well, Krunal Pandya was the biggest hero in RCB’s thrilling victory over MI. Despite battling severe cramps, he stayed till the end and guided defending champions to a dramatic two-wicket victory over MI. The heartbreaking defeat officially knocked the Mumbai Indians out of the IPL 2026 playoff race, while RCB climbed to the top of the points table with 14 points from 11 games.
Read Also: Ravichandran Ashwin snubs Virat Kohli and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to name IPL 2026’s best opener
