Krunal Pandya Celebrates RCB's Historic IPL Title Win
RCB Achieves Back-to-Back IPL Titles
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 1: After clinching their second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) title, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player Krunal Pandya expressed his joy at the team's remarkable achievement, noting that they are now among only three franchises to have accomplished this feat. He remarked, "Every IPL trophy holds a special place in my heart."
Krunal has established himself as one of the league's top players, marking his fifth IPL title overall and his second in a row with RCB. Prior to this, he had won three titles with the Mumbai Indians (MI).
During the current season, Krunal played 16 matches, scoring 226 runs in nine innings with an impressive average of 37.66 and a strike rate of 145.80, including a half-century and a top score of 73. He also contributed significantly with the ball, taking 14 wickets at an average of 30.55, with his best figures being 2/16. In the final match, he delivered a tight bowling performance, finishing with figures of 1/23 in four overs.
Reflecting on the victory, Krunal stated, "Every IPL trophy is unique, much like children; you can't choose which one is more special. Each title is hard-earned, and I feel incredibly grateful to have five trophies in 11 years. It's truly special for me."
He attributed RCB's transformation over the past two seasons to the efforts of their coaching and support staff, including Dinesh Karthik, the batting coach and mentor, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat, and head coach Andy Flower.
Krunal added, "The preparation before the auction last year and the way they structured the team was crucial. Sometimes, winning half the battle happens during the auction. They did an excellent job, and it was up to us to perform. I'm thrilled we managed to secure back-to-back titles. After 18 years of waiting, winning two in a row is for the RCB fans who have supported us throughout, and it's especially meaningful for Virat as well. Winning two consecutive trophies is amazing," he concluded.
In the final match, RCB batted first, with Gujarat Titans (GT) managing only 155 runs for 8 wickets in their 20 overs. Washington Sundar top-scored with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, while Nishant Sindhu contributed 20 runs. RCB's bowlers, including Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29), and Josh Hazlewood (2/37), consistently took wickets.
RCB began their innings strongly, with a 62-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer (32 off 16 balls) and Virat Kohli. Although GT fought back, reducing RCB to 132/5, Virat (75* off 42 balls) led the team to victory with two overs remaining. This marks RCB's second IPL title and their fourth overall in Indian franchise cricket, which includes two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.