
'One of the greatest spells': Fans laud Krunal Pandya as he brings RCB back in IPL 2025 final against PBKS
The IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has turned into a rollercoaster. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) posted a total of 190/9, and with the way Punjab Kings (PBKS) started their chase, things were starting to look shaky for the RCB camp. But just when it seemed like PBKS were cruising, Krunal Pandya stepped in with a performance that could be remembered for years in franchise history.
Krunal's 4-0-17-2 spell shifts the momentum
Krunal Pandya didn't just bowl well — he completely changed the mood of the match. With calm nerves and clever variations, he pulled off a brilliant 4-over spell, conceding just 17 runs and taking 2 key wickets. He first removed the dangerous Prabhsimran Singh, who had looked threatening early on. Then came an even bigger blow — the wicket of a well-set Josh Inglis, just when he looked ready to shift gears.
What stood out wasn't just the wickets, but how Krunal bowled with intent and discipline. He stuck to tight lines, mixed his pace, and never let the batters settle. In a final where the pressure is sky-high, this was a display of experience, maturity, and grit. With every dot ball and every wicket, the RCB supporters found their hope again.
Fans erupt in praise for Krunal Pandya
Fans didn't waste a second in showing love to Krunal on social media. Many were quick to call his spell 'one of the greatest ever in an IPL final', while others pointed out how he single-handedly pulled RCB back into the game.
One fan wrote, "KRUNAL PANDYA - ONE OF THE GREATEST SPELL IN IPL. 4-0-17-2 against Punjab Kings, he has turned the game for RCB, this will be remembered forever in franchise History."
KRUNAL PANDYA - ONE OF THE GREATEST SPELL IN IPL 🔥4-0-17-2 against Punjab Kings, he has turned the game for RCB, this will be remembered forever in franchise History. pic.twitter.com/8LLi9nDdv4
Another user added, "WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS SPELL, KRUNAL. STREETS WILL REMEMBER YOUR HEROICS."
KRUNAL CLUTCH PANDYA IN IPL FINAL:4-0-17-2.- WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THIS SPELL, KRUNAL. STREETS WILL REMEMBER YOUR HEROICS. 🙇♂️ pic.twitter.com/sMHUlrExkG
"God couldn't be everywhere so he made Lord Krunal Clutch Pandya," a third wrote.
God couldn't be everywhere so he made Lord Krunal Clutch Pandya !!!! pic.twitter.com/fgrCiVKn76
"Krunal Pandya has ice running through his veins. Absolute clutch performance and changed the game.Such an under rated player across his entire career," added another.
Krunal Pandya has ice running through his veins.Absolute clutch performance and changed the game.Such an under rated player across his entire career.
Check out some more reactions below:
Mumbai blood Krunal Clutch Pandya in IPL finals is different gravy altogether 💀 pic.twitter.com/2GjhfcUagp
CLUTCH GOD KRUNAL PANDYA IS WINNING THE TROPHY FOR RCB. WHAT AN SPELL IN THE FINALS. pic.twitter.com/TPYxt4TwC6
Krunal Pandya, Take a bow 🙇 Livingstone 😭❤️🫶 pic.twitter.com/6YfHvRPLV1
KRUNAL CLUTCH PANDYA FOR RCB 🥶 pic.twitter.com/DpsYLiNTYn
Playing XIs for IPL 2025 Final
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (C), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Azmatullah Omarzai
Punjab Kings (PBKS):Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Shreyas Iyer (C), Josh Inglis (WK), Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen
To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
30 minutes ago
- News18
'I Was Overpaid': RCB Legend AB de Villiers Stumps Former India Cricketer
Last Updated: AB de Villiers had a memorable stint playing for RCB from IPL 2011 to 2021 as he scored nearly 4500 runs in 157 matches. Former India cricketer Abhinav Mukund made a startling revelation on the legendary South African player AB de Villiers, who told him he felt 'overpaid" during his stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. De Villiers' humble remarks stunned Mukund as he cited the man's words to revisit the IPL 2025 auction where a prudent decision ultimately helped RCB lift their maiden trophy. Mukund recalled how RCB went as far as Rs 23.50 crores to try and sign Venkatesh Iyer but stepped back that enabled them to get proven match-winners in Josh Hazlewood and Phil Salt. While KKR bagged Iyer for a whopping Rs 27.50 crores, RCB picked their spearhead Hazlewood (Rs 12.50 crore) and attacking opener Salt (Rs 11.50 crore) at reasonable amounts. Iyer failed to justify the price-tag with just 142 runs in 11 innings, but Hazlewood and Salt played instrumental roles in ending RCB's title drought with 22 wickets and 403 runs, respectively. 'I was sitting next to AB de Villiers and he told me something that I don't think any legend in the IPL has said. But he genuinely meant it, he said it from a place of emotion. He said 'I was overpaid'," Mukund said on Star Sports. 'I'm overpaid, I thought I was overpaid because I feel like all of the other elements that you're talking about, right?" 'Where you're able to buy so many other superstar players, all those match winners you're talking about. The highest amount of money that they spent was for someone like Phil Salt or Josh Hazlewood. They didn't cross 15 (crores)." 'Looking back, RCB must be relieved they didn't go all the way for Venkatesh Iyer. He was their last unsuccessful bid, and right after that, they picked up Josh Hazlewood, Jitesh Sharma, and Phil Salt. Those three turned out to be key signings. Plus, by not overspending, they had enough money left for day two to bring in someone like Bhuvneshwar Kumar. It clearly showed they had a well-thought-out plan to build a balanced squad," he added. Joining RCB for Rs 5 crores in 2011, AB de Villiers spent the next 10 seasons playing for the popular franchise as an explosive and high-impact player. The right-hander was retained by the RCB for Rs 7.5 crores at the 2014 mega auction and then again for Rs 11 crores apiece ahead of the 2018 and 2021 seasons. First Published: June 05, 2025, 15:12 IST


India Today
38 minutes ago
- India Today
RCB announced victory parade without police nod, declared free entry: Sources
The RCB management reportedly approached Bengaluru City Police on June 3, before the IPL 2025 final, asking permission for a victory said that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru management did not consult the police before tweeting about their victory parade, which went viral, with over a million views. It created euphoria amongst the fans. advertisement


India Today
38 minutes ago
- India Today
Bengaluru stampede, the price fans pay for manufactured loyalty
What has Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) got to do with Bengaluru? It is a motley crew of mercenary cricketers, hired from around the world, with few, if any, local players, except three this year (Devdutt Padikkal, Manoj Bhandage and Mayank Agarwal). In fact, this is one of the rare seasons where RCB have had this many local players. Three. That's almost a crowd, by their paper, it is led by an Indore native, in spirit by a Punjabi from Delhi. The loyalty of its players is transient, available to the highest bidder. After 17 seasons without an IPL title, this squad of global freelancers wins a cricket league, not a World Cup or even a minor international trophy. Yet, in a tragic twist of irony, Bengaluru erupted in manic celebrations that led to a deadly city administration must be held accountable for inadequate crowd control measures, such as insufficient policing or barriers. But the catastrophe was also fuelled by pride in a team lacking strong local ties, a frenzy exploited by corporate and Fear The IPL, like most city-based leagues in the world, is a cunning exploitation of regional pride. Named after cities and states, it demands loyalty with the cheap gimmick of association by tokenism. In practice, almost every team comprises players drawn from outside, sometimes pitting a native player against his home crowd. Consider the irony when Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by a Mumbai film star without any key player from the city, takes on Delhi Capitals, whose director is the Bengali icon Sourav Ganguly. Or, when RCB fans cheer against Rajasthan Royals, coached by Kannadiga hero Rahul Dravid. Loyalty to city franchises is so convoluted it feels the national team, most teams operate as pure business ventures. Owners of these franchises are business tycoons, not city or state admins. The teams are marketed as brands, and their earnings are added to corporate balance sheets. Yet, the biggest investors are fans, who spend money on tickets and emotions on their teams, sometimes with tragic are fans driven to such a frenzy? Many factors like human psychology, social anxiety, and marketing converge to create the mania around city-based franchises. And these factors are universal, impacting every sport, every Quest for Manufactured IdentityHumans can think rationally but often let emotions override reason. Birth is a random biological and geographical event, yet it becomes the core of our identity. We take pride in the place, caste, and community we are born in, and look down upon others denied this perceived privilege of happenstance. By pitting one identity against another, sports franchises exploit these innate differences and are wired to function in groups and have a tribal mindset. We crave social affiliations, to make us feel part of a bigger unit. In the past, tribes and local communities offered this refuge. But in a fragmented world where people are plucked from their roots, such city-based franchises provide a new identity, even when it is artificial and is especially true in the case of large cosmopolitan cities like Bengaluru, where people from across India migrate, leaving behind their original identities and social groups. In a city that's vastly different culturally and linguistically, a team like RCB offers an emotional anchor and a cultural identity. It gives them a manufactured we worship heroes, sometimes like deities. Their trials, triumphs, and failures become extensions of our own lives. This phenomenon makes us invest deeply in icons like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli, even when their own roots are different from ours. Southern states, shaped by cultural devotion to icons, show intense emotional reactions, sometimes leading to just hero or team worship, these businesses also spark bitter rivalries. Before the start of every match, toxic hate spills over onto social media, where iconic players are insulted, booed, and subjected to nasty slurs. The rivalry between the Chennai Super Kings, led by a player from Ranchi, and the Mumbai Indians is so fierce that it sizzles with the heat of an India-Pakistan the help of broadcasters, the IPL exploits these primal forces, turning fans into hordes driven by instinct, not reason. Its marketing machinery thrives on creating artificial scarcity—limited tickets, exclusive merchandise—and high-stakes narratives to drive fans into a frenzy. In 2024, the IPL reportedly generated over $1 billion in revenue, with millions spent on marketing to stoke febrile media amplifies this commodified spectacle, and rivalries based on regional pride and hero worship. This manufactured hype and euphoria turns casual viewers into rabid loyalists, driven to extreme fervour, sometimes with tragic outcomes like the Bengaluru who bears responsibility for such tragedies? The franchise owners, the city administration, and a culture that glorifies sports spectacle over rational engagement. But it is the fans who unwittingly pay the biggest cost of manufactured loyalty.(Sandipan Sharma likes to spin gripping tales on cricket, cinema, and history. When not scribbling, he dodges life's mundane bits by reading everything under the sun. He has been a journalist and author for 25-plus years) (Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch