"I love tough situations": RCB's Krunal Pandya after match-defining 73 against MI

With RCB finding themselves at 39/3 in 5.1 overs in their chase of 167, Krunal Pandya stitched a crucial 55-run stand with Jacob Bethell (27) and a 37-run stand with Jitesh Sharma (18) to bring RCB closer to their target before he was eventually dismissed in the 18th over. After Krunal's wicket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (7* off 2 balls) and Rasikh Salam Dar (3* off 2 balls) guided the hosts home on the last ball of RCB's innings.

Krunal, who was suffering from cramps, slammed five sixes and four boundaries in his innings.

After the match, Krunal said he enjoys high-pressure situations and always prepares for them, but admitted he couldn't finish the game himself. He praised Bhuvneshwar's late six as the decisive moment in the match and noted that the Raipur pitch required patience and proper cricketing shots rather than aggressive stroke play.

"I obviously love tough situations and I always prepare and look forward to those. Obviously wanted to finish the game but I was not able to do it but the shot that Bhuvi played was the shot of the match. It was a wicket where you have to play cricketing shots. Not the kind of wicket where you line up the bowlers. You have to apply and grind and play the knock," Krunal said at the post-match presentations.

He said he struggled with severe cramps during his innings, adding that he is not used to batting for such long periods.

"I was cramping a lot. 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," Pandya said.

Krunal Pandya, who spent his first six years at the IPL from 2016 to 2021 with the Mumbai Indians, reflected emotionally on his time with his former franchise, calling MI batting coach Kieron Pollard a "big brother" and praising him as a T20 great and key figure in the team's success. He said his six years at MI were the best phase of his IPL career and highlighted the strong bond within the Pandya-Pollard core, which also includes his brother Hardik Pandya.

"Polly (Kieron Pollard) is my big brother. I had my best six years at MI. Kieron Pollard and Pandya brothers were the engine room. It was obviously emotional and I obviously love Kieron Pollard and a terrific human being. GOAT of this format and won so many trophies and games. And as he says, you can't keep a good man down," Krunal said during the post-match presentations.

RCB edged out MI by 2 wickets in a thrilling last-ball finish in Raipur, chasing down 167 in a tense IPL clash.

Despite a brilliant four-wicket haul from Corbin Bosch, MI fell short as RCB held their nerve in the final over, with Krunal Pandya's fifty anchoring the chase and a late six from Bhuvneshwar sealing the win.

RCB had earlier bowled out MI for 166, thanks to a four-wicket spell from Bhuvneshwar, while Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir's partnership helped MI recover from an early collapse.

With this win, RCB moved to the top of the points table with seven victories in 11 matches, while MI's playoff hopes were effectively ended as they remained ninth with just three wins. (ANI)