Winning two straight Indian Premier League trophies left Krunal Pandya smiling – his Royal Challengers Bengaluru now stand among just three teams to ever do it. Each IPL championship feels unique, he said, without exception. A quiet milestone marks his journey: five titles now sit in his cabinet. This latest run adds another layer, the second time lifting the cup consecutively with RCB. Earlier victories came draped in Mumbai Indians colors, three strong seasons etched into memory. His presence on the field shifted moments when pressure climbed. Not loud, but steady. That consistency helped shape what RCB achieved this year.
Krunal played sixteen games this season. Across nine innings, he made two hundred twenty six runs, averaging thirty seven point six six. His hitting speed gave him a strike rate near one forty six. One half century lifted his tally, the top knock reaching seventy three. Bowling brought fourteen wickets, each falling at roughly thirty point five apiece. The finest burst saw two for sixteen. Come the final, four tidy overs fetched just one run per ball, ending with one wicket down.
Speaking after the match, Krunal said, “There is no doubt about it, every IPL trophy is special. It’s like having kids, right? You cannot pick (which one is more special). Similar with IPL trophies because everything is so hard-earned. I am so glad and grateful that in 11 years, to have five trophies, it’s pretty special for me.”
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That preparation ahead of the draft, same as last season, stuck out. How they built the squad. The mix mattered. Winning half the fight happened before stepping onto the field. They handled that part well enough. After that, everything fell to us – had to show up and get it done. For sure, happy we got the cup again right after one another. After all those 18 long years, grabbing two wins like this – it means everything to the RCB supporters. Everywhere we show up, they stand by us without fail. Then there’s Virat too, naturally, makes it even more meaningful. Two straight victories? Nothing quite like it, really. That’s how he wrapped it up.
First up, RCB sent GT in to bat. A low total followed – 155 for eight after twenty overs. Only two players managed more than twenty runs. Washington Sundar made 50 off 37 deliveries, finding the fence five times. Alongside him, Nishant Sindhu chipped in with 20 from 18, hitting three boundaries. The bowling attack kept pressure on throughout. Rasikh Dar Salam picked up three wickets for 27. Bhuvneshwar Kumar added two for 29. Then Josh Hazlewood closed with figures of two for 37.
Off to a strong start, RCB built momentum early through a quickfire partnership. Though GT pushed back hard, claiming wickets in clusters, pressure never fully stuck. Instead of folding, someone stepped up – Virat took charge when others couldn’t hold on. His knock carried the chase past tipping point long before final overs arrived. With gaps widening under his bat, runs came freely – boundaries mixed with big clears over ropes. Target down, game sealed, celebration followed – all inside fourteen overs. Not new for them this success; they’ve stood here once prior in IPL chaos. Add in those WPL victories too, now counting four major silverware pieces altogether.
