'9 IPL trophies in the Pandya household!' Krunal calls Hardik after POTM win in RCB's 1st title victory
In his four-over spell, the spinner delivered a match-winning performance, conceding just 17 runs at an economy of 4.20 and taking two key wickets ¡ª opener Prabhsimran Singh (26 off 22) and Josh Inglis (39 off 23).
After being asked to bat first, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) managed to post only 190 runs on the board in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final against Punjab Kings (PBKS). However, the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad seemed to behave differently in the second innings ¡ª especially when Krunal Pandya came on to bowl and defend what many critics had deemed a below-par total.
In his four-over spell, the spinner delivered a match-winning performance, conceding just 17 runs at an economy of 4.20 and taking two key wickets ¡ª opener Prabhsimran Singh (26 off 22) and Josh Inglis (39 off 23), both looking dangerous. For his crucial contribution in helping RCB lift their maiden IPL trophy, Krunal was awarded the Player of the Match.
Moments he will never forget ?
¡ª IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) June 3, 2025
Moments they will never forget ?
? Virat Kohli ? The #RCB faithful ?#TATAIPL | #RCBvPBKS | #Final | #TheLastMile | @RCBTweets | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/ObyJxRI0C0
Krunal Pandya ¡ª the clutch player
Speaking to Ravi Shastri during the post-match presentation, Krunal explained his bowling approach: "When we batted in the first innings, I was sitting outside and chatting with the batters, and I realised that the slower you bowl, the better. But in this format, you need guts to do that because the margin of error is small. I just backed myself and thought if I varied my pace and kept it on the slower side, I could create chances instead of just firing it in."
He added: "My biggest strength has always been reading the situation. I back my gut and instincts. Today, I knew if I wanted to take a couple of wickets, I had to be brave. If you bowled quick on this surface, it would¡¯ve been a good batting pitch. But varying the pace helped. It got slightly better in the second innings compared to the first."
The man for the ??? ????? ?@krunalpandya24 becomes the 1??st player to deliver TWO Player of the Match performances in #TATAIPL finals ?
¡ª IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) June 3, 2025
He guides #RCB to a maiden title ?
Relive his spell ? https://t.co/vNWU7vQF06 #RCBvPBKS | #Final | #TheLastMile pic.twitter.com/0B4LMWCJc0
On RCB's long-awaited triumph, Krunal said: "When I joined RCB, I said I loved winning trophies. After three and a half months, I'm glad I could fulfil what I said on Day 1."
What he said next struck an emotional chord with fans: "It¡¯s been a great 10 years ¡ª four IPL trophies. I told Hardik on the phone, now there are nine IPL trophies in the Pandya household in 10 years."
About RCB's victory
PBKS openers started strong, but RCB kept striking at key moments. The game turned with Krunal Pandya's brilliant spell. Romario Shepherd's key wicket of Shreyas Iyer, who failed to fire, also swung momentum. Despite PBKS's deep batting lineup, the run rate climbed steadily.
Marcus Stoinis hit a six but fell on the very next ball, Nehal Wadhera holed out, and RCB's bowlers ¡ª Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal ¡ª kept it tight in the end, despite Shashank Singh's efforts to retain strike.
Apart from an early drop, RCB's fielding was sharp, with Phil Salt setting the tone with a superb catch. In a pressure final, RCB outplayed PBKS with smart bowling, disciplined fielding, and calm execution ¡ª finally lifting their first IPL trophy.
Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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