Subhechcha Ganguly 
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) secured their third consecutive victory on Sunday, climbing to the top of the IPL 2025 points table after a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Leading the charge was all-rounder Krunal Pandya, who delivered a stellar performance with both bat and ball.
Chasing a target of 163, RCB comfortably reached 165/4 in 18.3 overs, with Krunal remaining unbeaten on 73 off 47 balls. His explosive knock, which included five boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of 155.32, anchored RCB’s chase. Earlier, with the ball, Krunal also contributed significantly, picking up the key wicket of former RCB captain Faf du Plessis and finishing with figures of 1/28.
Krunal, who was bought by RCB for ₹5.75 crore in last year’s mega auction (against a base price of ₹2 crore), finally delivered the big performance the team had been waiting for — and it didn’t go unnoticed. Speaking after the match, Virat Kohli praised the all-rounder’s impactful showing.
“Krunal… today was his day. We were waiting for him to light up the tournament with the bat. Whenever we are chasing, I keep checking with the dugout about our progress, and today Krunal’s knock made things very easy for us,” Kohli said.
Kohli also spoke about the team’s cohesive approach this season. “I try to ensure I don’t stop the singles and doubles and add occasional boundaries. You can’t just come out swinging this year; you need to assess and adapt to conditions. Our communication has been brilliant, and that’s why we have seven wins from ten games,” he explained.
Highlighting the depth of RCB’s squad, Kohli added, “We have Romario Shepherd after Tim David for extra firepower. Hazlewood and Bhuvi are world-class bowlers — that’s why Bhuvi has the Purple Cap. Krunal bowled well too. And don’t forget Suyash; he might not have many wickets yet, but he’s been excellent. He could be our dark horse.”
With this win, RCB continues to build strong momentum as the playoff race intensifies.
