It wasn’t just cramps that Krunal Pandya was battling on Sunday night in Raipur. After producing a knock reminiscent of Glenn Maxwell’s 2023 World Cup classic, Krunal — who carved out a match-winning 73 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Mumbai Indians — revealed proof of another painful injury battle.
For most of IPL 2026, RCB did not require much from Krunal with the bat, such was the dominance of their top and middle order. But on Sunday, he was promoted to No. 5 after captain Rajat Patidar fell in the final over of the powerplay.
Midway through the chase, Krunal battled severe cramps and virtually batted on one leg, smashing an unbeaten 73 off 46 balls in a tense last-ball thriller while anchoring RCB’s pursuit of 167.
But beyond the cramps, Krunal was also carrying another injury, as he revealed in an Instagram post after the match. Sharing a picture of a large scar across his stomach, he wrote: “Some scars are proof that it was worth fighting for.”
Krunal credits Dinesh Karthik
The veteran all-rounder credited mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik for RCB’s improved batting approach this season. Speaking after the game, Krunal highlighted the behind-the-scenes work Karthik has put in with the batters over the last two seasons.
“If you look at last year and even this year, despite the ups and downs, a lot of credit goes to DK,” he said. “He has spent a lot of individual time with each player, understanding their strengths and weaknesses and working on them. He’s always there for the batters. So yes, there’s no doubt a lot of credit goes to DK for how we’ve batted as a unit.”
Krunal also shed light on how RCB have consistently handled pressure situations this season, saying it comes down to detailed planning around match-ups and execution.
“We’ve discussed that if there’s one bowler you fancy and feel you can take down, just play out those six balls properly,” Krunal said.
“In that situation, I was set. I was in. And I realised it was becoming very difficult for me to run ones and twos because of the cramps. So I thought, ‘okay, let me just stand and face all six balls’ and capitalise on whatever I can.”
