The final few balls he faced during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s clash against Mumbai Indians were quite excruciating for Krunal Pandya. Wickets fell like nine pins around him, but the target seemed within reach. With every shot he played, the cramps seemed to get even worse.

He decided to fight on rather than surrender to the pain. The two sixes he hit in the 18th over, falling to the ground after every attempt, eventually helped the defending champion over the line in a tense chase.

“The cramps were quite painful. It started with the calf, then the hamstring and the glutes. Both my legs were cramping. I was very clear. I will not go out. I will fight through and make sure I can do whatever I can for the team,” the all-rounder would tell reporters after his match-winning knock.

When asked what it took to play through the pain, Krunal said: “Sheer willpower. Over time, I have maintained an attitude of not giving up, and I have always cherished these tough situations. I have the simple mindset that whenever I go out to bat, I will try to approach the situation in the way the team wants.”

It has been just under five years since Krunal last donned the India colours. After sliding down the pecking order after 2021, he has written himself back into contention with his performances for RCB. The all-rounder says he continues to harbour aspirations to play for the country in the shortest format.

“Since I was six or seven years old, I have dreamt of playing for India. There is still no change in that. My goal is to play for the country. A World Cup is coming next year, so fingers crossed. I want to keep doing well and get that opportunity,” the 35-year-old said.

Veteran all-rounder Krunal Pandya credited mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s improved batting approach after his gritty knock against Mumbai Indians kept the side in the hunt and knocked the five-time champions out of the IPL playoffs race.

Battling severe cramps and batting virtually on one leg, Krunal smashed an unbeaten 73 off 46 balls in a tense chase that RCB sealed off the final delivery.

Krunal said Karthik’s behind-the-scenes work with the batters over the last two seasons has played a major role in shaping the side’s batting performances.

“If you look at last year and even this year, despite the ups and downs, a lot of credit goes to DK,” Krunal said at the post-match press conference on Sunday (May 11, 2026).

“He has spent a lot of individual time with each player, understanding their strengths and weaknesses and working on them. He’s always there for the batters. So yes, there’s no doubt a lot of credit goes to DK for how we’ve batted as a unit.”

The left-hander revealed that RCB’s clarity in pressure situations stemmed from detailed planning around match-ups and execution in crunch moments.

“We’ve discussed that if there’s one bowler you fancy and feel you can take down, just play out those six balls properly,” Krunal said.

“In that situation, I was set. I was in. And I realised it was becoming very difficult for me to run ones and twos because of the cramps. So I thought, ‘okay, let me just stand and face all six balls’ and capitalise on whatever I can.”

Krunal, who has batted in multiple positions throughout his IPL career, said he enjoys taking responsibility in difficult situations. “I feel good that the team trusts me to do different roles,” he said.

“Whenever I bat, I ask myself what the situation is and what the team needs at that moment. I’ve never focused on personal milestones. I always try to understand the team situation and how to approach it in the simplest way possible.

“And, honestly, however tough the situation is, somewhere I enjoy it.”

RCB eventually scrambled the two runs required off the final ball to complete a dramatic win, with veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar also making a decisive contribution with a crucial first-ball six in the last over after earlier delivering another effective new-ball spell of four wickets while giving away just 23 runs.

For the sake of convenience mostly, Krunal Pandya is classified as a left-arm orthodox spinner. But what leaves his left arm at the point of delivery doesn’t always qualify as orthodox or even spin. 

The variance in length can be extreme, with his repertoire including a sharp bouncer as well as the ball in the block-hole. Add his occasional low-arm release to the mix and he is able to keep the batters guessing in a format where his brethren of finger-spinners increasingly appear redundant. The 35-year-old’s methods may not necessarily please the classical practitioners of the craft from yesteryear, but he is seeking effectiveness rather than endorsement.