‘One Pandya had to win’: Krunal Pandya relishes RCB victory over MI at Wankhede

MUMBAI: Royals Challengers Bengaluru's 18-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night tasted a tad bit more sweeter for Krunal Pandya.

Enjoying a special outing against his former franchise, the all-rounder, who unveiled his new hairstyle - Jamaican braids which fans said was perhaps inspired by England pacer Jofra Archer - enjoyed getting the better of his brother Hardik Pandya. Revelling in a moment which will perhaps give him the bragging rights at home for a few days, Krunal quipped that it was always going to be a case of “one Pandya had to win.”

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In a high-scoring match, RCB posted a massive total of 240 for four, before restricting MI to 222 for four. On a flat surface which had nothing it for the bowlers, Krunal delivered a tight spell of one for 26 in four overs, taking the crucial wicket of India's T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, who was looking dangerous while batting on 33 before he swept the left-arm spinner to deep backward square leg. Krunal thus helped RCB derail MI's inning in the middle overs, which proved to be decisive in the end. At a venue he is well-versed with, Krunal once again showed why he is a valuable asset for RCB.

“Wankhede has always been close to my heart. I have played here for six years and was lucky enough to win three trophies in that time,” Krunal said at the post-match press conference.

“So it has always been special coming over here, and as I said last year as well, eventually the points were coming home only. One Pandya had to win, and I guess I was the lucky one in that,” he added.

Since moving to RCB from Lucknow Super Giants in 2025, Krunal has become a reliable figure in their setup. He played an important role in their title-winning campaign last season, taking 17 wickets in 15 matches@22.29 and contributing 109 runs@18.16 with the bat lower down the order. That run included a brilliant, match-turning effort of two for 17 in four overs in the final against Punjab Kings. Named as the 'Player of the Match' Krunal took the wickets of Prabhsmiran Singh and Josh Inglis to turn the tide in RCB's favour, Punjab Kings fell six runs short while chasing 191.

In IPL 2026 so far, Krunal has taken five wickets@23.60, at an economy rate of 9.07 in four matches@ for the defending champions. Pandya's spells have helped RCB gain control and win the battle of the middle overs. More than the numbers, it is his ability to step up in the big moments that stands out. The 35-year-old Baroda captain is the only cricketer to win the Player of the Match award in an IPL final twice.

‘Don’t pre-plan bowling bouncers but want to be one step ahead of batters’

One 'surprise weapon' which Krunal has successfully used against the batters is the bouncer - not a delivery usually associated with the spinners. Krunal said that he uses the delivery as per his gut feeling and to be one step ahead of the batters.

“I have never shied away from trying different and new things because with the Impact Player rule, previously, you had No. 6 or 7 as all-rounders and batsmanship was quite different. But now there are pure batters (coming in) at No. 8 and plus the skill sets, young boys like Mukul (Choudhary) and Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) are hitting from ball one consistently. As a bowler, I want to be one step ahead with the skillset and mental part as well."

“I am glad that it is coming out well and hope that in this format, there are finger spinners who survive and who can take something out of it and do well. Because for (a) finger spinner with having flat tracks and eight batters, it has become very difficult,” Krunal added.

Often left surprised with a spinner bowling the short quick ball, batters tend to leave the delivery alone. Krunal said that his bouncers are pre-planned, but instinctive. “I am someone who follows my gut. I don't pre-plan that I want to bowl the fourth or fifth or sixth ball (as a) bouncer. There are days where I will bowl two bouncers back to back and suddenly I will bowl the first ball and the sixth ball,” he said.

“But yeah, it is more sort of gut feeling when to bowl which ball and I just commit 100 per cent to that. People tend to speak a lot about my bouncers and the balls which looks quite different and funny...but I have always worked on the basics of my bowling and if you see I am tall and I have been able to get that bounce, I have (also) been able to get batsmen out with spin and deceiving in the flight. I don’t practise bowling bouncers much. It is just that I actually bowl in the game,” he explained.

'Kohli should be fine'

Meanwhile, Krunal said that Virat Kohli should be “fine” after the batting superstar did not take field in the second half of the game owing to an ankle niggle. "I have not spoken to the physio yet but I think he will be fine. I guess (there is) nothing to worry,” Krunal said.