A touching display of sportsmanship from Krunal Pandya stole the limelight during the thrilling clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League 2026 season on Saturday.
The Axar Patel-led Delhi Capitals returned to winning ways with a dramatic four-wicket victory over RCB in Bengaluru. Half-centuries from KL Rahul and Tristan Stubbs, followed by a composed finishing knock from David Miller, guided Delhi to a memorable win off the final ball.
Awwww. How nice of Krunal Pandya to give a shoulder to the Injured Axar Patel 😌 pic.twitter.com/UqNFKscBQP
— Jonah Abraham 😷 (@JonahAbraham26) April 18, 2026
With the victory, Delhi Capitals climbed to fourth place in the standings with three wins and two defeats, taking their tally to six points. Meanwhile, RCB remained second with four wins from six matches, accumulating eight points.
Krunal Pandya Helps Injured Axar Patel Off Field
The moment that captured fans’ attention came when Delhi captain Axar Patel suffered cramps during the chase.
Batting on 25, Axar appeared visibly uncomfortable midway through his innings. After consulting the team physio, he decided to walk off the field. In a gesture widely appreciated by fans, Krunal Pandya from the opposition team stepped in to help Axar off the ground alongside Delhi teammate Ashutosh Sharma.
The act of sportsmanship drew praise on social media, with many fans highlighting the spirit of the game that goes beyond rivalry.
AXAR PATEL FORCED OFF WITH CRAMP 😬
— Puneet Awasthi (@PuneetA77622712) April 18, 2026
Axar Patel walks off the field after struggling with cramps, accompanied by Ashutosh and the physio.
Krunal Pandya lends a helping hand as play pauses again.
Despite the discomfort, Axar leaves with a smile 💛 pic.twitter.com/Pn7Bu3F42t
Rahul, Stubbs Set Up Delhi’s Recovery After Early Collapse
Chasing a target of 176, Delhi Capitals suffered an early setback as Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivered a fiery opening spell.
He dismissed Pathum Nissanka for just one run before removing Karun Nair (5) and Sameer Rizvi (2). Spectacular catches from Phil Salt and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma left Delhi reeling at 18/3 in just 2.5 overs.
However, KL Rahul counter-attacked strongly, striking boundaries and a six off Josh Hazlewood in the fifth over. Delhi ended the powerplay at 50/3.
Rahul and Stubbs then stitched together a crucial partnership. Rahul reached his second half-century of the season in just 30 balls, keeping Delhi in the hunt. By the halfway mark, Delhi stood at 87/3, with Rahul unbeaten on 57 and Stubbs building momentum.
Axar’s Cameo Ends With Injury Concern
Rahul’s dismissal came shortly after the halfway stage when Krunal Pandya broke the partnership, with Virat Kohli taking a fine diving catch at long-on.
Axar Patel joined Stubbs and began confidently, hitting boundaries and taking Delhi past the 100-run mark. The duo gathered useful runs before RCB tightened the scoring in the middle overs.
Axar eventually retired hurt due to cramps after scoring 26 off 19 balls, including three boundaries, creating concern in the Delhi camp.
Miller Finishes The Job In Dramatic Fashion
With two overs remaining, Delhi needed 25 runs. Stubbs and David Miller calmly collected 10 runs from the penultimate over, leaving 15 required in the final over bowled by Romario Shepherd.
After singles on the first two deliveries, Miller smashed two massive sixes and followed it with a boundary to seal the victory with one ball remaining. Delhi finished at 179/4 in 19.5 overs, with Stubbs unbeaten on 60 and Miller on 22.
Stubbs brought up his half-century in 41 balls and held the innings together as the chase reached its final phase.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the standout bowler for RCB with figures of 3/26, while Krunal Pandya impressed with 1/24. Despite disciplined spells, RCB could not defend their total.
Phil Salt Anchors RCB Innings After Solid Start
Earlier, RCB began strongly with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli putting on a 52-run opening partnership.
Kohli scored 19 before being dismissed by Lungi Ngidi, while Salt continued to dominate. Devdutt Padikkal contributed 18 before falling to Axar Patel.
Salt completed his half-century in 30 balls and eventually made 63 off 38 deliveries before being dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav.
Late contributions from Tim David (26) and Krunal Pandya helped RCB post 175/8 in their 20 overs.
For Delhi Capitals, Kuldeep Yadav (2/32), Axar Patel (2/18) and Lungi Ngidi (2/39) shared the bulk of the wickets.