Latest news with #POTM
NDTV
2 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
All Bases Covered: How RCB's Maiden IPL Triumph Is A Complete Teamwork Shutting Down Past Mistakes, Criticism
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally sealed their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL), with their much-scrutinised bowling joining the party not only during the title clash, but throughout the entire season while their batters, particularly Virat Kohli continued providing returns expected of them. RCB's historic title win was a team effort like no other, as everyone stepped in, even if it was for a match. There was not even a single player who could be villianised for any negative contributions, as even the underperformers had their moments. The pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal, the opening pair of Phil Salt and Virat Kohli and spinner Krunal Pandya, though, stood out tall amongst all. Different matches, different match-winners During this entire season, it was as if every player was out there to prove a point. The 'Player of the Match' honours were won by nine different players, the most by a team during a single edition of the IPL. Krunal won the first POTM award for his 3/29 against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the tournament opener, which restricted them to 174/8. In the finals, he returned to produce an all-time great spell of 2/17 in four overs, putting humungous pressure on PBKS and becoming the first player with two POTMs in the finals. In between this, he also produced a brilliant half-century in a modest chase against Delhi Capitals (DC), earning him POTM for his batting. Skipper Rajat Patidar also bagged the award twice for his match-winning fifties against struggling heavyweights Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). A blistering 65 in 33 to chase down 174 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) got Salt his individual glory too, while Tim David's valiant half-century that pushed RCB to 95/9 in a rain-hit match against PBKS at home earned him a rare losing effort POTM. A half-century against RR earned Virat his first POTM, while a clutch 4/33 from Hazlewood to leave RR 11 runs short of 206 runs earned the Australian his moment of glory too. Romario Shepherd's explosive 53* in just 14 balls during the last two overs against CSK gave Caribbean some POTM representation too, as his effort lifted RCB to 213/5 when such a total looked out of reach. Jitesh Sharma's De Villiers-esque 85* against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to chase down RCB's highest total of 228 also gave him the award too. During the Qualifier one against PBKS, when Suyash Sharma's 3/17 ran through the hosts in the middle overs and skittled them out for 101, the Delhi spinner also got the POTM honours. Half-centuries galore for RCB A total of 10 half-centurions emerged for RCB this season, with Virat, Salt, England's young all-rounder Jacob Bethell, Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh, Krunal, David, Shepherd and Liam Livingstone reaching the milestone. For the first time, a team had 10 different half-centurions in a single IPL season. This was a sign of an extremely functional top and middle-order. While Virat (657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 with eight fifties) and Salt (403 runs in 13 innings at an average of 33.58, with four fifties) mostly provided the team with explosive starts, that tempo and consistency was maintained well by the rest of the batters consisting of Padikkal (247 runs in 10 matches at an average of 27.44, with two fifties), Patidar (312 runs in 14 innings at average of 24.00 with two fifties), Jitesh (261 runs in 11 innings at an average of 37.28 with a fifty), David (187 in nine innings at an average of 62.33 with a fifty) and Romario Shepherd (70 in three innings at an average of 35.00 with a fifty). Mayank Agarwal, who stepped in as an injury replacement for Padikkal, also hit 99 runs in four innings, including a crucial 41* against LSG and vital 24 in the finals. Even underperforming stars like Livingstone (112 runs in eight innings with a fifty at an average of 16.00 and Krunal (109 runs in seven innings at an average of 18.16 with a fifty) had at least a high or two. That means, RCB could kiss the jokes about a once non-existent batting line-up after Virat and two-three of their marquee foreign players goodbye as everyone contributed. A sensational bowling line-up which produced clutch moments RCB had a powerful pace attack, being among top three pace attacks in IPL 2025 with 64 wickets at an average of 26.04, economy rate of 9.41 and strike rate of 16.5. Above them in wickets are: Sunrisers Hyderabad (66 wickets at an average of 27.78, economy rate of 9.65 and a strike rate of 17.2) and Mumbai Indians (79 wickets at an average of 24.93, economy rate of 8.99 and a strike rate of 16.6). They were among the three pace units with 60-plus wickets. Hazlewood (22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.54, with best figures of 4/33), Bhuvneshwar (17 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 28.41, with best figures of 3/33), and Dayal (13 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 36.15, with best figures of 2/18) timed their breakthroughs to perfection right from match one to the final. Be it Hazlewood producing absolute magic at powerplay and death, Bhuvneshwar producing laudable comebacks or Dayal delivering his slower ones, RCB's execution was top class. Romario Shepherd (six wickets in seven innings at an average of 25.16 with best score of 2/14), Ngidi (four wickets in two matches at an average of 20.25 with best of 3/30) and one wicket each from Nuwan Thusara and Rasikh Salam were the supporting acts in the pace department. Among the spinners, Krunal continued to prove why he is rated so high among all cricketing experts, ending as the eighth-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps at an average of 22.29, with best figures of 4/45. He squeezed top-class batters under pressure and his big match temperament was on full display in the final. Suyash served as a great support act, taking eight wickets in 14 matches at an average of 55.25 with an economy rate of 8.84. A world-class coach in Andy Flower and a brilliant support staff Andy Flower, the former Zimbabwe cricketer who is now a top-rated name in the coaching circuit, along with batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik, headed the coaching staff. Flower brought to a team, a belief of winning a big one, having won the T20 World Cup 2022 and three Ashes Test series with England, the World Test Championship (WTC), retained the Ashes, won WTC with Australia and secured numerous other franchise cricket league titles as a coach. Having powered RCB to the playoffs from a pathetic one win in eight matches in the first half last season, the self-belief instilled from a magical second half of the last season stayed intact. Karthik as well was a fine mentor to all the players, particularly Jitesh, who even called him his "Guru". The spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan also put in plenty of work on Krunal and the backing of Suyash despite some expensive outings finally paid off with his outrageous effort in Qualifier one. Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and elected to bowl first. Arshdeep Singh (3/40) and Kyle Jamieson (3/48) applied timely breaks with the ball, while Yuzi Chahal (1/37) also prevented batters from attacking. While Virat Kohli (43 in 35 balls, with three fours) tried to keep the innings together, skipper Rajat Patidar (26 in 16 balls, with a four and two sixes), Jitesh Sharma (24 in 10 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Liam Livingstone (25 in 15 balls, with two fours) upped the attack enough to help RCB post 190/9 in 20 overs. In the run-chase, PBKS started well with Priyansh Arya (24 in 19 balls, with four boundaries) and Prabhsimran (26 in 22 balls, with two sixes) stitching a 43-run stand. Josh Inglis (39 in 23 balls, with a four and four sixes) and Shashank Singh (61* in 30 balls, three wins and six sixes) tried their level best to keep up with the rising run rate, but Krunal Panddya (2/17), Yash Dayal (1/18) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/38) put a fine show with the ball to restrict PBKS to 184/7, despite a sensational 22 runs smashed by Shashank in the final over while needing 29. RCB's win marks the end of a long wait, while PBKS, in their second-ever final and first in 11 years--will have to continue their search for a maiden title.
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Krunal Pandya Creates History Becomes First Player In IPL History To…
Krunal Pandya has etched his name in IPL folklore by becoming the first player in the tournament's history to win the Player of the Match (POTM) award in two separate IPL finals. The all-rounder, known for his composure and ability to deliver under pressure, achieved this rare feat in the IPL 2025 final, playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Krunal delivered a match-defining performance. With RCB defending a moderate total, Krunal spun a web around the Punjab batting line-up, returning with figures of 2 wickets for 17 runs in 4 economical overs. His control, variations, and clever bowling on a high-pressure night played a key role in RCB lifting their maiden IPL title. What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that Krunal had earlier won the Player of the Match award in the IPL 2017 final while playing for the Mumbai Indians. In that game, he played a crucial knock of 47 off 38 balls to guide MI to a narrow 1-run victory over Rising Pune Supergiant, a classic final etched in IPL memory. With this, Krunal Pandya becomes the only cricketer to receive POTM in two IPL finals, highlighting not just his longevity but his ability to rise to the occasion in the biggest matches. His contributions have not only helped two different franchises to title victories but also showcased his value as a true big-match player. __ @RCBTweets — Krunal Pandya (@krunalpandya24) June 4, 2025 As Krunal celebrated this feat, he called his brother Hardik Pandy, the two now boasting nine IPL trophies between them. With this iconic moment, Krunal has firmly cemented his place among IPL legends.
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Krunal Pandya Creates History, Becomes 1st Player In The World To...
Last Updated: Krunal picked up 2 wickets for 17 runs in four overs for RCB in the IPL 2025 final played against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday, June 3. Krunal Pandya entered his name in the history books on Tuesday (June 3) by becoming the first player in the world to win two Player of the Match awards in the IPL final. The 34-year-old all-rounder from Baroda bowled four overs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 final played against Punjab Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and picked up two wickets for 17 runs. He opened his wicket account by getting Prabhsimran Singh caught out for 26 runs from 22 balls on the third ball of the ninth over of PBKS' innings and then, on the first ball of his last over of the match, removed Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis. Inglis was caught by Phil Salt near the boundary ropes for 39 runs from 23 balls. Krunal, who played in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians from 2016 to 2021, won the POTM award in the 2017 final for his all-round show against the Rising Pune Super Giants. He scored 47 runs from 38 balls for MI in the summit clash played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on May 21, 2017, and then finished with figures of 0/31 in four overs. Players to win POTM award in IPL final A total of 10 Indians have won the POTM award in the 18 IPL finals played so far. Krunal, who played 43 matches for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL from 2022 to 2024, was signed for Rs 5.75 crore by RCB in the IPL 2025 mega auction, and in this year's IPL, he scored 109 runs and picked up 17 wickets in 15 matches for the Rajat Patidar-led side. Watch CNN-News18 here. Stay updated with all the latest news on IPL 2025, including the schedule, Points Table, IPL Orange Cap, and IPL Purple Cap. Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 04, 2025, 00:12 IST
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
After IPL 2025 win, Krunal Pandya reveals telephone chat with brother Hardik Pandya
Krunal Pandya (BCCI/IPL Photo) NEW DELHI: Krunal Pandya delivered a Player of the Match performance to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday. Picked up by RCB for Rs 5.75 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, Krunal brought out his full arsenal, refusing to let Punjab Kings gain control during their chase. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! His spell of 2 for 17, which included the crucial wickets of Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis, proved to be a game-changer and played a key role in RCB's six-run victory. Krunal later revealed that he had set his intentions clearly with the franchise during his very first conversation — he was there to win trophies — and he made good on that promise with a match-defining performance. — IPL (@IPL) 'When we batted, we realised the slower you bowl, the better it is. In this format, you need guts to do it. I just backed myself and thought I'd vary my pace and keep it on the slower side more often. My biggest strength has been to learn what the situation requires. I knew I had to be brave to get wickets tonight. Thought I'd do that by bowling slow. If you'd have bowled quick, it'd have been a good wicket. But if you mixed it up, it was tougher. Pitch actually got easier in the second innings,' said Krunal while collecting the POTM trophy. 'Have enjoyed my time with RCB so far. I told them on day one that I like to win trophies. I told Hardik too that the Pandya household will have nine trophies in 11 years,' he added. Krunal now has four IPL titles to his name — three with Mumbai Indians — and Tuesday's performance marked the second time he has won the Player of the Match award in an IPL final. The first came in 2017, when he scored 47 off 38 balls to help Mumbai Indians defeat the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant.
News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
'Let's Hope And Pray': Karnataka Deputy CM Backs RCB To Win IPL 2025 Trophy
Last Updated: Rajat Patidar will captain Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings on Tuesday (June 1) at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are back in the IPL final after nine years! In the summit clash of IPL 2025, the Bengaluru-based franchise will face Punjab Kings on Tuesday (June 3). The final of the 18th edition of the world's richest franchise cricket league is scheduled to take place at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. RCB will start as favourites for the title after securing a big win by 8 wickets over PBKS in the Qualifier 1 match played on Thursday (May 29) in Mullanpur. The Rajat Patidar-led side would like to repeat the same show on Tuesday as well and end Bengaluru's 18-year-long wait for their first-ever IPL trophy. On the eve of the big final in Ahmedabad, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar backed RCB to win the title this year. According to him, 'I am happy. Bengaluru boys RCB will win in Ahmedabad. After a very long time, they have come to the finals. The govt of Karnataka and the people of Karnataka are waiting for their victory. A lot of people from Karnataka are going to watch the match in Ahmedabad. Let us hope and pray that they win and come back." advetisement In the final, RCB will have high expectations from batting superstar Virat Kohli and Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. With 614 runs to his name in 14 matches played so far, Kohli is RCB's leading run getter in IPL 2025, whereas with 21 wickets in 11 matches, Hazlewood is RCB's most successful bowler. In the Qualifier 1 match against PBKS, the Australian speedster picked up three wickets to help Rajat Patidar's men bowl Shreyas Iyer & Co. out for just 101 runs. Apart from Kohli and Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, who won the POTM award in Qualifier 1 for his super bowling show of 3 for 17 in three overs, and Phil Salt, who scored an unbeaten half-century, will be key players for RCB. On the other hand, PBKS will expect a big show from captain Shreyas Iyer, wicketkeeper Josh Inglis and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Iyer has scored more than 600 runs in the IPL this year, which includes scores of 97 not out against Gujarat Titans on March 25 and 87 not out against Mumbai Indians on June 1 in Ahmedabad. First Published: June 02, 2025, 21:15 IST
