Krunal Pandya Reflects on Last-Over Thriller:

In a thrilling encounter during IPL 2025’s 20th match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) in a nail-biting finish. The star of the night was Krunal Pandya, who turned the match on its head with an outstanding final over. Krunal finished with four wickets for 45 runs, taking three crucial wickets in the last over when Mumbai needed just 19 runs to win.

After the match, Krunal said, "The bond between Hardik (Pandya) and me is very special. We both knew only one Pandya could end up winning tonight. He batted brilliantly, and I do feel for him, but the team’s victory is most important."
Reflecting on the final over, he added, "Experience and 100% commitment made the difference. As a bowler, it’s crucial to fully commit to your plans to execute them properly."

Sharing his strategy, Krunal explained:
"When I came in to bowl, Mitchell Santner was batting and the leg-side boundary was shorter. Having played many matches here over the past decade, that experience really helped tonight."

Praising the Team Environment:

Krunal also spoke about RCB’s positive atmosphere under coach Andy Flower and captain Rajat Patidar.
"Andy and I spent two years together at Lucknow Super Giants, so I know him personally. It’s great to see how the team is growing under his guidance," Krunal said. "Rajat has been excellent as a captain — he stays calm and doesn't complicate things. He backs your game plan. Jitesh Sharma has also been outstanding, improving not just in his batting but in his overall game awareness, while continuing to be brilliant behind the stumps. My goal is simple: stay humble, focus on the game, and help the team win."

Match Summary:

Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bowl first. However, their decision quickly backfired. Although Phil Salt was dismissed early, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal steadied the RCB innings with aggressive batting, unsettling the MI bowlers.

• Virat Kohli scored 67 off 42 balls,

• Devdutt Padikkal added 37 off 22 balls.

Following them, Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma kept the momentum going:

• Patidar smashed 64 runs,

• Jitesh Sharma remained unbeaten on 40, taking RCB to a formidable total of 221/5.

Mumbai’s bowlers struggled to contain the runs. Although Hardik Pandya and Trent Boult picked two wickets each, they couldn’t control the scoring rate. Jasprit Bumrah bowled economically but went wicketless.

Mumbai’s Chase:

Chasing 222, MI’s start was shaky, reaching just 99/4 in 12 overs. However, Tilak Varma (56 runs) and Hardik Pandya (42 runs) launched a fierce counterattack, making the match exciting towards the end.
For a moment, it looked like Mumbai might pull off a stunning victory, but RCB fought back as Tilak and Hardik fell in quick succession. Krunal’s brilliant bowling in the death overs, along with key contributions from Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, sealed a memorable 12-run win for RCB.

Points Table Update:

With this win, RCB have now won three out of their four matches and sit third on the points table. Interestingly, all three victories have come in away games.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians have managed to win just one out of their five matches so far and are placed eighth.