Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher has lavished praise on Krunal Pandya after the all-rounder produced a stunning match-winning knock in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s dramatic two-wicket victory over the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026. On a difficult Raipur surface where batting never looked comfortable, Krunal delivered one of the finest innings of his IPL career. Chasing 167 in a high-pressure encounter, the left-hander smashed a brilliant 73 off 46 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and five towering sixes.
More importantly, he held RCB’s innings together while wickets continued to tumble at the other end. The pitch at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium offered uneven bounce and variable pace throughout the match, making strokeplay extremely challenging.
Despite those conditions, Krunal showed remarkable composure and fearless intent, often counter-attacking Mumbai Indians’ bowlers when RCB looked close to losing control of the chase. Mark Boucher was especially impressed by Krunal’s mentality under pressure and described him as the type of cricketer who thrives in tough situations.
ALSO READ: BCCI Furious With IPL Team Owners Over Growing Controversies During IPL 2026
“In low-scoring games, you need street fighters to win you matches. When I look at Krunal Pandya, I see a street fighter. He’s not always easy on the eye, but he finds a way. It’s like the dog in a fight, he just wouldn’t go down,” Mark Boucher said on JioStar.
RCB’s chase had gotten off to a disastrous start after early dismissals of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Rajat Patidar reduced the defending champions to 39/3. Mumbai Indians tightened the pressure through disciplined spells from Corbin Bosch and Jasprit Bumrah, but Krunal absorbed the tension brilliantly.
The experienced all-rounder stitched together valuable partnerships with Jacob Bethell and Jitesh Sharma to keep Bengaluru alive in the contest.
“I think Mumbai Indians showed some great intent. There was a lot of desperation, but they were really up against one man, and that was Krunal Pandya. He did his part brilliantly,” Mark Boucher added.
What made the innings even more remarkable was Krunal’s physical struggle in the closing stages. Battling severe cramps and visibly struggling to move, he still continued attacking the bowlers and finding the middle of the bat consistently.
ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin Backs Bhuvneshwar Kumar For Indian Callback After RCB Heroics
“At one point, it looked like he could barely stand anymore; he was just standing there swinging. And when he swung, most of the time, he hit the middle of the bat. This game has to go down as a massive tick for Krunal Pandya. He wanted it desperately; you could see it in his eyes,” Mark Boucher said.
RCB eventually completed the thrilling chase on the final ball, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar smashing a crucial late six to help Bengaluru climb to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
