IPL 2026: 'I had my best six years at MI,' Krunal Pandya reflects on his MI days

Krunal Pandya (Pic: X)

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated the Mumbai Indians in a thriller at Raipur. The defending champions looked dead and buried at one stage in their chase, but Krunal Pandya rose to the occasion and guided his team with a magnificent knock of 73 runs in 46 balls.

After his match-winning knock, an emotional Krunal Pandya shared a long hug with MI batting coach Kieron Pollard. The duo were part of multiple title-winning teams with the Mumbai Indians in the past.

The southpaw reflected on his MI days and the close bonds he created with the franchise during his six-year stay. He said his six years at MI were the best phase of his IPL career and highlighted the strong bond within the Pandya-Pollard core, which also includes his brother Hardik Pandya.

"Polly (Kieron Pollard) is my big brother. I had my best six years at MI. Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers were the engine room. It was obviously emotional, and I obviously love Kieron Pollard and a terrific human being. GOAT of this format and won so many trophies and games. And as he says, you can't keep a good man down," Krunal said during the post-match presentations.

Krunal said he enjoyed the high-pressure situations and was happy to contribute to the team's win, despite not finishing the game himself.

"I obviously love tough situations, and I always prepare and look forward to those. Obviously wanted to finish the game, but I was not able to do it. The shot that Bhuvi played was the shot of the match. It was a wicket where you have to play cricketing shots. Not the kind of wicket where you line up the bowlers." Krunal added.

RCB's win meant the end of MI in IPL 2026

RCB maintained their composure in the last over, with Krunal Pandya's fifty anchoring the chase and Bhuvneshwar's late six clinching the victory, despite Corbin Bosch's outstanding four-wicket haul.

Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir's partnership helped MI recover from an early collapse as the visitors finished with 166 runs on the board.

With this victory, RCB surged to the top of the standings with seven wins in 11 games, while MI's chances of making the playoffs were over as they finished ninth with just three victories.

(With ANI Input)