The much-anticipated Hardik Pandya vs Krunal Pandya faceoff lit up the IPL 2025 fixture between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). With the game slipping away from MI and over 100 runs needed in the last seven overs, skipper Hardik Pandya walked in under pressure—and was soon up against his elder brother, Krunal Pandya, in a rare on-field battle.
RCB had earlier posted 222 on the back of a fluent 50 from Virat Kohli and a fiery stand between Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma. MI faltered in their response, and the equation read 106 off 42 balls when Hardik walked in. In a stunning counterattack, he took Josh Hazlewood for 22 runs in a single over, hammering two sixes and two boundaries to race to 20 off just 5 balls.
That’s when RCB turned to Krunal, hoping to break the momentum—and what followed was one of the most gripping overs of the tournament.
It all began even before the bat met the ball—when Hardik Pandya entered the field with his trademark swagger, only for Krunal Pandya to cheekily mimic his younger brother’s walk. The two shared a brief laugh, offering a rare glimpse of their off-field bond before shifting straight into game mode.
Once the action resumed, it was all business. RCB had earlier piled on 222 runs, riding on Virat Kohli’s half-century and a destructive partnership between Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma. MI’s chase wobbled early, and at 106 needed off 42 balls, the situation looked grim when Hardik arrived at the crease. With momentum shifting after the Hazlewood over, RCB threw the ball to Krunal , setting up a rare brother vs brother showdown.
1st ball: Tilak Varma took a single, giving Hardik the strike. Then came the fireworks.
2nd ball: Hardik smashed Krunal straight over long-off for six.
3rd ball: He sent the ball soaring over mid-wicket—another six.
4th ball: Krunal tried going wide outside off, but it was too wide.
4th ball again: Another wide, same tactic.
Sensing the game slipping, Krunal slowed things down—tying his shoelace, pulling out of his run-up, trying to break Hardik’s rhythm. On the legal fourth ball, he surprised everyone with a short ball outside off. Hardik calmly dabbed it to the deep fielder for a single and shared a light moment with his brother at the crease.
ALSO READ:
This Hardik Krunal exchange, filled with tactics, tension, and subtle mind games, was a standout moment in the MI vs RCB match. While Mumbai Indians still had work to do, Hardik’s explosive burst tilted momentum in their favour—and his mini-duel with Krunal was one for the archives. But Hadik fell after an enterprising knock of 42 off 15 balls and Krunal went on to seal a win for RCB with a tight final over.
After the game Krunal spoke more of the bond with his brother: “The bond that we (Hardik and I) have, we knew there was only one Pandya that was supposed to win, the love and affection we have for each other is very natural. He (Hardik) batted really well and I feel for him, but we (our team) won and that is most important.”
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
