NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya battled cramps on a difficult Raipur surface where stroke-making remained challenging throughout the thrilling IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians in Raipur. Krunal anchored RCB’s tense chase with a fighting 73 while wickets kept falling regularly at the other end. Battling cramps in the latter half of his innings, the left-hander combined resilience with calculated aggression to keep RCB alive before Bhuvneshwar Kumar sealed the tense chase with a six in the final over.His innings was applauded by many fans, cricketers and former cricketers as well.
But former Chennai Super Kings and India batter Subramaniam Badrinath grabbed attention for a comment he made during the RCB vs MI match.As Krunal struggled in pain due to cramps and fell to the ground holding his leg during the game, Badrinath jokingly remarked that he would have thought about “letting him die”.“Look there, he already had a cramp in his leg… it’s as if the opposition said, ‘Hey, you die from that cramp!’ – but even then, it’s okay (Rickleton helped him),” Badrinath said while watching Krunal fall due to cramps.Badrinath’s commentary during the match did not go down well with fans, with the former cricketer facing criticism on social media.After RCB’s win, Krunal also spoke to the broadcasters.“Obviously, later on, cramps were very, very painful. I mean, it started from calf, hamstring, glutes and both legs. I was cramping,” Krunal said after the game. “But again, I was very clear that I’m not going to go out. I’ll fight through that pain, and I’ll make sure that whatever I can contribute for the team, I’ll do it.”“Plus, this was a very, very crucial game for us. Especially at the fag end of the tournament, every game matters,” he said.“So it was very clear that I’ll fight through that pain and make sure that whatever and whichever way I can contribute, I’ll contribute in that.”When asked how he managed to continue despite severe cramps, Krunal said it came down to mentality and his ability to remain focused in pressure situations.“I mean, sheer willpower, I’ll say,” he said. “Again, if you see over a period of time how I’ve played my cricket, I’ve always played without giving up, and I always cherish those tough situations. It was sheer willpower and courage that I did not want to give up,” he added.
