Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had every reason to paint the town red after securing their ticket to a second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) final.
On a historic, record-shattering night at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala, RCB blew away the Gujarat Titans (GT) by a whopping 92 runs in Qualifier 1. Yet, amid all the clinical tactical brilliance on display out in the middle, it was a side-splitting dressing room moment that truly captured the superb team culture brewing in the Bengaluru camp.
Following the massive win, the team gathered inside the locker room for their traditional post-match briefing. The atmosphere, led by batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik alongside top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal, was filled with high energy. However, just as Padikkal was wrapping up an earnest appreciation speech praising the night’s top impact performers, senior all-rounder Krunal Pandya realized he had been completely left out of the roll call.
The Locker Room Banter: Refusing to let his stellar performance go unnoticed, Krunal immediately cut in with a hilarious, deadpan complaint. “Mera naam bhool gaya bhai” (You forgot my name, brother), Krunal remarked in a playful tone. The unexpected reminder instantly cracked up the entire room, with former skipper Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik bursting into uncontrollable laughter. Karthik quickly pivoted to fix the oversight, adding, “Well done, Krunal. Good effort on the bat,” which reset the jovial mood.
All-Round Heroics: Why Krunal Deserved the Shoutout
Krunal’s mock outrage was fully justified given how critical his contribution had been in setting up RCB’s historic victory earlier in the evening. Walking out to bat at a delicate 104/3 after the double-blow dismissal of openers Virat Kohli (43) and Devdutt Padikkal (30), Krunal steadied the ship alongside a red-hot Rajat Patidar.
The duo unleashed absolute carnage in the death overs, assembling an aggressive 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket. While skipper Patidar stole the headlines with a mind-boggling, unbeaten 93* off just 33 balls, Krunal played an exceptional anchor-accelerator role, hammering 43 runs off only 28 deliveries, a knock decorated with 5 boundaries and 2 colossal sixes. Their destructive synergy launched RCB to a towering $254/5$—officially the highest team total ever recorded in an IPL playoff match.
Reaching the Peak: Eyes Fixed on Back-to-Back Titles
The scoring mountain proved way too steep for Shubman Gill’s Titans. Scoreboard pressure triggered a massive top-order implosion inside the Powerplay. Krunal carried his red-hot form into the second innings as well, turning the ball beautifully on a gripping Dharamsala surface to bag 2 essential wickets, dismantling any hope of a mid-innings re-build from Gujarat. GT were ultimately bundled out for a mere 162 runs in 19.3 overs, despite a fighting 68 from Rahul Tewatia.
Closing out the high-spirited dressing room huddle, mentor Dinesh Karthik urged the team to balance their celebrations with the ultimate objective ahead. “In four days’ time, we have a big game and I’m sure all of you will be up for it. But let’s make sure we have a lot of fun in the next couple of days. And when we hit the road, when we reach Ahmedabad, we’ll focus and play the same brand of cricket,” Karthik told the squad.
With a roaring locker room camaraderie and their star players clicking in unison, RCB heads to Ahmedabad with peak momentum, looking to defend their crown and lock down an iconic back-to-back title run.