Krunal Pandya, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder, had his banter game on point ahead of the marquee Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 fixture against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The 35-year-old will be going up against his younger brother Hardik, who is the captain of the five-time champions. Mumbai will look to avenge the defeat of last year, where RCB came out on top owing to a sensational final over bowled by Krunal.
Ahead of the match against the Mumbai Indians, Krunal fired shots at Hardik, taking a cheeky jibe at the opponents, saying, “May the best team win, which is RCB.” Krunal is no stranger to Mumbai, as he spent his early years in the IPL with the five-time champions, forming a key part of their squad.
Both Mumbai and Bengaluru are heading into the fixture on the back of defeats against the Rajasthan Royals, and both teams are looking for a desperate change in fortunes.
Krunal said that he is looking forward to his battle with Hardik and is prepared for a heated contest in the middle as both brothers are really competitive.
“Nothing changes. I mean, you know, we both are quite good competitors, but we are brothers at the end of the day, so we’ll give everything on the field. May the best team win, which is RCB,” said Krunal Pandya in a video shared on the official handle of RCB.
‘Nostalgic vibe’
The Wankhede rarely supports any other team apart from the home team, Mumbai Indians, but RCB is one team that manages to get the crowd behind them largely due to the presence of Virat Kohli. And once again, Krunal is expecting several fans inside the stadium to cheer for the defending champions.
“Our next game is against Mumbai in Mumbai at the Wankhede. We won the match against them in the last over last season. I was bowling the final over; it was a good game. It is always special to play at the Wankhede,” said Krunal.
“Whenever I step onto the Wankhede, it gives me a nostalgic vibe. Last time we were in Mumbai, we heard a chant: ‘RCB, RCB’. I hope there will be much more support, hoping we give you guys a good show,” he added.
The Mumbai Indians have played three matches in the IPL 2026 so far, winning one and losing two. On the other hand, RCB have won two and lost one.
