When I got into RCB, I realised how much madness there is – Krunal Pandya

RCB staged a remarkable turnaround of affairs after a shaky start against KKR last night. The first half of the IPL 2025 season opener saw Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine showing off their hard-hitting flair in the first ten overs, leaving RCB under pressure. However, an extraordinary spell from Krunal Pandya turned the game on its head as he induced chaos, compelling KKR to crumble.

Pandya’s exploits last night included the crucial scalps of Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh. Despite being slightly expensive in the first over, he was remarkable in the final three, concluding the day with figures of 3/29. He was awarded the Player of the Match award for his defining performance.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Pandya highlighted his strategy, stating, “When you play against so much crowd, I had to narrow down my focus. If I get hit I had to get hit off a good ball, glad that I could deliver. You have to go with the flow, how cricket is evolving. Batters have the skill-set to hit sixes consistently. You also have to up your game, have to make sure I bowl quicker. Change of pace is associated with pacers but also I tried it.”

During the game, on seeing Venkatesh Iyer without a helmet, Pandya went onto hit a bouncer which was well kept by Jitesh Sharma. Shedding some light on the bumper, Krunal added, “Now Jitesh knows what I will do, if it's a wide yorker or a bouncer, if you have something in your armoury, why not use it.”

He concluded with a note for RCB, saying, “It's been amazing, when I got into the team, I realised how much madness there is. The crowd support you get, even in domestic cricket, there also people are chanting RCB. It's been 10 days since I have joined and it's been pretty good.”