 "Krunal Pandya scored his second fifty of IPL career to help RCB chase down 163. Image: Reuters")
Krunal Pandya played the innings of his life as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) by 6 wickets on Sunday night to stay strong in the playoff race of IPL 2025 .
Chasing 163, RCB were in early trouble at 26 for 3. But Krunal Pandya (73 not out off 47 balls) and Virat Kohli (51 off 47 balls) stitched together a match-winning 119-run partnership to rescue the team and seal the win with 9 balls to spare.
Krunal Pandya delivers when it matters most
After winning the Player of the Match award, Krunal Pandya said, “It’s always good to get the result. Sometimes when you put in the hard work and it shows the result, it feels good. My role was clear that if we lose three wickets, I had to stitch the partnerships because we have hitters like Tim David and Jitesh down the order.”
Krunal also gave credit to Kohli for helping him during a tough phase. “My first 20 balls were quite scratchy but he kept pushing me saying, ‘you’ll do it.’ When Virat is there at the other end, it’s always quite easy,” he added.
Krunal, who has been an economical bowler over the years, said he has worked hard on his bowling variations. “It’s my 10th season. I’ve worked a lot on my bowling with my variations. I just want to keep my head down and continue this.”
Virat Kohli anchors the chase and grabs Orange Cap
Virat Kohli, who took the Orange Cap after another fifty, spoke about the importance of adapting to the situation during a chase. “It was a top win, especially looking at the surface. Whenever there’s a chase on, I keep checking with the dugout, whether we’re on course, what is my role, and what kind of innings I need to play,” Kohli said.
On his approach to chasing, Kohli explained, “I try and make sure my singles and doubles don’t stop and then keep getting the odd boundary in between, so the game doesn’t get stagnant. You need professionalism to read the situation and try and dominate later.”
Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel admitted that DC were a few runs short. “I feel like we were 10-15 runs short. The intent was there, but the wicket was two-paced and got better once the dew came. Maybe if one batter had stayed longer, it could have been different,” he said.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEarlier, Delhi Capitals posted 162/8 thanks to handy knocks from KL Rahul (41) and Tristan Stubbs (34). RCB’s bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood (2 wickets) and the spinners, kept things tight during the middle overs. In the chase, after the early loss of three wickets, Krunal and Kohli took control and made sure RCB crossed the line comfortably.
This was Krunal Pandya’s first IPL fifty since 2016, and only the second 50-plus score in his long IPL career. And it came at the perfect time for RCB, who now move closer to securing a playoff spot.