New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya battled through the pain on a tough Raipur surface where it was difficult to make strokes during the IPL 2026 thriller. Mumbai Indians In Raipur, Krunal chased down RCB’s tension and scored 73 runs while wickets continued to fall at the other end. Battling through pains in the latter half of his innings, the left-hander combined resilience with calculated aggression to keep RCB alive before Bhuvneshwar Kumar followed up the tension with a six in the final over.His innings was appreciated by many fans, cricketers and former cricketers as well.
But the former Chennai Super Kings and India batsman Subramaniam Badrinath His comments during the RCB vs MI match drew attention.As Krunal struggled in pain and fell to the ground clutching his leg during the game, Badrinath joked that he must have thought of “letting him die”.“Look there, he already had pain in his leg… It’s like the opposition said, ‘Hey, you died from that pain!’ – But still, it’s okay (Rickleton helped him),” said Badrinath as he watched the colonel collapse in pain.Badrinath’s commentary during the match did not go down well with the fans, the former cricketer faced criticism on social media.After RCB’s win, Krunal also spoke to broadcasters.“Obviously, afterward, the pain was very, very painful. I mean, it started in the calf, hamstring, glutes and both legs. I was in pain,” Cronel said after the game. “But again, I was very clear that I’m not going to go out. I’m going to fight through this pain, and I’m going to make sure that whatever I can contribute to the team, I’m going to do it.”“Also, it was a very important game for us. Especially at the end of the tournament, every game counts,” he said.“So it was very clear that I was going to fight through this pain and make sure that I contributed in whatever way I could.”When asked how he managed to keep going despite the intense pain, Karnal said it came down to his mindset and ability to stay focused under pressure.“I mean, sheer willpower, I would say,” he said. “Again, if you look at how I’ve played my cricket, I’ve always played without giving up, and I’ve always loved those tough situations. It was sheer willpower and courage that I didn’t want to give up,” he added.
