Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Krunal Pandya summed up his bruising battle against Mumbai Indians with an emotional Instagram story after powering Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thrilling last-ball win in IPL 2026.“Some scars are proof that it was worth fighting for,” Krunal wrote alongside a picture showing a massive scar suffered during his match-winning knock in Raipur on Sunday night.The all-rounder battled severe cramps and physical pain during a sensational 73 off 46 balls, an innings that rescued RCB from deep trouble during their chase of 167. At one stage, the defending champions were reeling at 39/3 before Krunal stitched together crucial partnerships with Jacob Bethell and Jitesh Sharma to revive the innings.
Despite struggling to move freely towards the end of his knock, Krunal continued taking on the bowlers and smashed five sixes and four boundaries on a difficult surface.‘I love tough situations’After the match, Krunal admitted he thrives under pressure and enjoys taking responsibility in crunch moments.“I obviously love tough situations and I always prepare and look forward to those,” Krunal said at the post-match presentation.“I obviously wanted to finish the game but I was not able to do it. The shot that Bhuvi played was the shot of the match.”The RCB star also revealed the extent of the cramps he suffered during the chase.“It started from calf, went to glutes and went to my back. So I was cramping a lot. I don’t usually bat so long,” he said.
Krunal Pandya’s Instagram story
Emotional reunion with Mumbai IndiansKrunal, who spent six seasons with MI alongside brother Hardik Pandya, also spoke emotionally about facing his former franchise and praised MI batting coach Kieron Pollard.“Polly is my big brother. I had my best six years at MI. Kieron Pollard and Pandya brothers were the engine room,” he said.Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher later described Krunal as a “street fighter”, saying the all-rounder refused to go down despite barely being able to stand.RCB eventually sealed a dramatic two-wicket victory thanks to a late six from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a result that lifted them to the top of the IPL standings while knocking MI out of the playoff race.
