In a high-octane clash at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on April 7, 2025, Krunal Pandya emerged as the hero, delivering a nail-biting final over that clinched a 12-run victory for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) over Mumbai Indians (MI). This landmark win ended RCB’s decade-long drought at Wankhede.
Batting first, RCB established a daunting 221/5, led by Virat Kohli’s dominance of a punishing 67 and captain Rajat Patidar with a useful 64. Back in response, MI’s quest was boosted with Tilak Varma’s flurry half-century and captain Hardik Pandya’s 42 off 15 balls. At the end, though, even their effort found MI short by 19 in the last over to achieve the win.
Stepped in Krunal Pandya. Charged with holding 19 runs from the last over against his own brother’s side, Krunal displayed steely nerves. He got rid of Mitchell Santner and Deepak Chahar with the initial two deliveries, gave a wide and a single, before removing Naman Dhir on the second-last ball to ensure RCB won the game. Krunal achieved stunning figures of 4/45.
After the match, RCB captain Rajat Patidar praised Krunal’s courage, saying, “It wasn’t easy, and the way that he bowled was amazing. The way he showed courage was fantastic.” Krunal attributed Patidar’s encouraging leadership, saying, “He’s a captain who gives you the comfort when he gives you the ball, he gives you the confidence, backs your game plan, and as a bowler, you want that.
The charged emotional subplot of the Pandya brothers going head to head enriched the battle. Krunal empathized with Hardik, noting, “The bond that we have, at the end of the day, we knew only one Pandya would win.
This win not only broke RCB’s 10-match losing spree at Wankhede but also improved their position in the IPL 2025 point table. As the season goes on, RCB will look to carry this momentum forward, and Krunal’s performance being a highlight of the sensational and unpredictable nature of T20 cricket.