Krunal Pandya celebrates after taking the wicket from Jos Buttler. (Image credit: IPL)
New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowlers produced a clinical performance in the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans, but one moment stood above the rest – Krunal Pandya’s smart dismissal of Jos Buttler that earned praise from batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.After being asked to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, the Gujarat Titans struggled for momentum and eventually finished with 155 for 8. Among the wickets that hurt them the most was the departure of Buttler, one of the most reliable batsmen this season.The England star had amassed 526 runs during the campaign and was seen as GT’s best hope of steering the innings towards a competitive total after the early dismissals of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsen.
Sachin praises Krunal’s awareness of the game
Soon after Buttler’s dismissal, Tendulkar took to social media to praise Krunal’s intelligence and execution.“What a brilliant delivery from @krunalpandya24! He watched the batsman’s feet until the last moment before launching the perfect ball to send him back to the dressing room,” Tendulkar wrote.The praise from one of cricket’s greatest batsmen highlighted the quality of performance and awareness shown by Krunal under pressure in the biggest match of the season.
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Butler excels in a crucial momentThe decisive moment came on the first ball of the 13th over.Having observed Buttler repeatedly looking to use his feet, Krunal kept his eyes fixed on the batsman until the last moment before firing fast and wide outside off stump.Buttler advanced down the track but was completely beaten by the pace and angle of the ball. Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma gathered cleanly and took out the bails to bring back the England batsman for 19 off 23 deliveries.Krunal celebrated with a characteristic roar as the RCB players realized the significance of the breakthrough. Buttler began to settle down and was expected to accelerate in the latter half of the innings.The wicket proved pivotal as GT failed to build any substantive partnerships thereafter.While little-known spinner Rasikh Salam Dar impressed with figures of 3 for 27 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood took two wickets each, Krunal’s lone scalp arguably had the biggest impact.Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 50 off 37 balls helped Gujarat Titans reach 155 for 8.
