Krunal Pandya is also the first player to win 4 IPL titles -- three with Mumbai Indians and one with RCB.
There are big match players and then there is Krunal Pandya.
The left-arm spinner played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifting their maiden IPL title in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Krunal bamboozled the Punjab Kings batters and left the spectators spellbound as he returned with figures of 2/17 in his four over match-winning spell.
He single-handedly broke the backbone of Punjab's batting order as they attempted to chase the 191 run target and guided Bengaluru to a six-run triumph.
Punjab had a subdued start to their chase getting to 52 for 1 in the Powerplay.
RCB Skipper Rajat Patidar then called in Krunal and what an opening over he bowled!
Krunal mixed his lengths but fired the deliveries into the batters, cramping them for room and not allowing them to play freely, He had Prabhsimran Singh beaten on an attempted sweep as Krunal commenced his spell with a meagre 3 runs in the over.
Impact sub Suyash Sharma was then taken to the cleaners, with Prabhsimran and Josh Inglis hammering him for 15 runs to lift some pressure.
But Krunal had other ideas as he struck in his very next over.
Krunal first deceived Prabhsimran with a slower full toss, the batter came down the track, got a thick edge and was caught at cover for 26.
In the third over of his spell he went for 7 runs before he took out another set batter.
Knowing Inglis' mindset, Krunal adopted the same plan he used to remove Prabhsimran. Krunal fired the ball close into the batter, Inglis tried to loft it over long on but the angle of the ball forced him to mishit and generate no power. Inglis ended up watching the ball fly straight down the long on fielder's throat.
Krunal returned with the priceless scalps of Prabhsimran Singh (26) and Josh Inglis (39) to effectively end Punjab's push for a victory.
Krunal did well to deceive the batters by varying his pace, he read the batters well and was fearless in his approach. He backed his skill and was rewarded for his courage and smarts.
Signed by Bengaluru for Rs 5.75 crore (Rs 57.5 million), he was worth his weight in gold as he helped RCB end their IPL drought with a mind-bending spell to win the Player of the Match award.
Krunal is now the first player ever to win Player of the Match awards in two IPL finals for two different franchises -- he won the POTM for MI in their title-winning match in 2017 and won his second award against PBKS in Ahmebadad in the IPL 2025 final.
Krunal, who also won the Player of the Match award against Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener with 3 for 29, finished with 25 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 19.52, best figures of 4/41.
His form with ball and bat (he scored an unbeaten 73 off 47 balls against Delhi Capitals on April 27, 2025) -- he also finished with 103 runs in the tournament -- has turned out to be a major difference for RCB.
Krunal now becomes the first player to win 4 IPL titles -- three with Mumbai Indians and one with RCB.
Virat Kohli had glowing praise for the elder Pandya brother: 'Krunal Pandya's spell will be remembered forever. As a finger spinner, he made the batters think.'
Speaking after the match, Krunal analysed his bowling thus: 'When we batted in the first innings, I was sitting outside and chatting with the batters. I realised the slower you bowl, the better. But in this format, as a bowler, you need guts to do that because the margin of error is small,' he said.
'I just backed myself and thought that if I'm able to vary my pace and keep it more on the slower side, I'll create chances rather than just coming and firing it in. What has been my biggest strength is learning what the situation requires. I've always backed my gut and instinct.'
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