Hardik and Krunal Pandya had plenty to prove ahead of the 2025 season, and they stepped up brilliantly to further their IPL legacy, writes Sarah Waris.
It wasn’t just another tidy spell. In the biggest match of the IPL season, Krunal Pandya bowled four overs for just 17 runs, taking two crucial wickets and giving Royal Challengers Bengaluru an advantage they would hold on to dearly. Josh Inglis and Prabhsimran Singh, Punjab’s best batters on the night, both fell to him not because he beat them with turn or pace, but because he understood exactly what they were trying to do.
Both batters attempted to disrupt his rhythm - Prabhsimran by stepping out to create room, and Inglis by advancing straight down the pitch, but Krunal countered with a slower, wider delivery to the former and a quicker, tighter one to the latter, forcing false strokes. From 43-1, Punjab soon fell to 98-4 in the span of 43 deliveries, as the din among RCB fans in Ahmedabad reached frantic levels.
His four overs played a pivotal role in RCB’s maiden IPL triumph, as the cameras zoomed away from the rest of the squad to Virat Kohli, who had been with the franchise loyally for 18 seasons before this moment of crowning glory.
Despite being wrapped in a thick veil of emotions, Kohli was the first to acknowledge what Krunal had done. He called the spell “the difference”, and it really was. Batting first, RCB had managed just 190, the lowest first-innings total of the season in Ahmedabad. On commentary, it was deemed 30 runs too short, but RCB had Krunal to see them through.
There was a quiet sense of vindication in that performance. For years, Krunal has been seen as the “other” Pandya - the older one, the steadier one, the one who didn’t light up games or dominate headlines but somehow always turned up when it mattered. It has always been Hardik’s name that draws attention, and his story, both on and off the field, that fuels debate. Yet, this season, and particularly in the final, Krunal firmly stepped out of his brother’s shadow to define his own narrative.
That’s not to pit one against the other. Because what has made their combined legacy so compelling is that it has never really been about one story. Rising from Baroda’s domestic cricket scene to nine IPL titles between them, the Pandya brothers have made space for themselves in an ever-evolving format. Their careers have followed entirely different arcs, yet neither has faded.
The contrasting rise for Krunal and Hardik
Hardik’s rise was cinematic. Ahead of IPL 2015, former India coach John Wright noticed his explosive hitting in local games. Signed by Mumbai Indians, Hardik made his debut at 21 and, while he scored only 112 runs in eight innings, he struck at over 195 in four of them, including a blistering 61* off 31 against KKR. Within a year, he had an India cap.
He swiftly became the seam-bowling all-rounder India had been searching for. A five-wicket haul in Nottingham in 2018 underscored his red-ball potential, but recurring injuries and workload management pushed him towards a white-ball focus. Between 2015 and 2020, he was instrumental in four IPL titles for MI, striking at 159.26 and delivering key breakthroughs with the ball.
Krunal’s path was far more uncertain. By 2015, he hadn’t cracked the domestic level and was contemplating a government job as a speed post clerk. He tore up the appointment letter and showed up at the Baroda trials instead. A quadriceps injury ruled him out of the 2015 season, but he came back strong in the 2015-16 Vijay Hazare Trophy, with 366 runs and 11 wickets, earning a contract with MI.
Not a big turner, Krunal built his game on control and awareness. Between 2016 and 2020, he was MI's third-highest wicket-taker, going at just 7.26. With the bat, he made 1,000 runs at 142.45 – crucial knocks, like a 38-ball 47 in the 2017 final, underscored his utility. However, any India caps were sporadic, and he was unable to cement his place in the side. Between 2018 and 2021, he played only 19 international games, including scoring a fifty on ODI debut. But it was not enough.
He later moved to Lucknow Super Giants, where between 2022 and 2024, he was their third-highest wicket-taker and the most economical bowler (7.37) among those with 10 or more wickets. But as bigger stars were retained, he moved to a third IPL side in 2025.
He needed to find a team that embraced him for who he was, and in RCB, he seemingly found that as Krunal quietly showcased his value. Across IPL 2025, he conceded just 65 runs to sweep shots, a rare feat in an era where spinners are often undone by that stroke. A 73* against Delhi Capitals and his final spell capped off a season where he was rated the second-most impactful player by ESPNcricinfo.
He ended with 17 wickets, his best season haul, at an economy of 8.23. The title win made him one of just eight players to feature in four IPL final triumphs, a list he fully deserves to be on, even if few saw it coming.
And then there was Hardik. The 2024 season had left scars. His return to the Mumbai Indians as captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, triggered a storm of backlash. The boos were relentless. His confidence and mental health took a hit. He later admitted he wanted to cry.
But 2025 brought with it a shift. Mumbai had a rocky start, one win in five, as the eyeballs started screening Hardik again. But they clawed back, as did Hardik. He picked up 14 wickets, his second-best haul in a season, and struck at 163.50 with the bat, crossing 145 for the first time since 2020. The swagger returned. The smiles followed, as Mumbai finished third, only falling out of final contention courtesy of a sensational innings by Shreyas Iyer.
2025 was about the story of two players, vastly different in demeanour and style, but bound by a similar path to redemption. One game that encapsulated this contrast was the MI-RCB clash at the Wankhede. Chasing 222 against Krunal’s side, Hardik walked in with Mumbai struggling at 99-4 and unleashed a 15-ball 42 that briefly tilted the contest back in his side's favour.
It was a glimpse of the Hardik of old - bold, fearless, unrelenting. But Krunal had the final word. Tasked with closing out the innings, he picked up three wickets in the last over to finish with 4-45, sealing a tense win. It was a reminder that while their methods differ, one built on power, the other on control, both remain central to their team's success.
Over the years, Pandya and Pandya have been embroiled in multiple controversies, made mistakes, said things they should not have, been doubted and mocked, often one more than the other. Sometimes, they have even faltered. But they kept showing up, and this season was the reward.
For Krunal, who finally emerged from the shadows. For Hardik, who found his fire again.
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