Royal Challengers Bengaluru\u2019s dream run of successive IPL titles was powered by a side-wide aura of dominance, and Krunal Pandya once again stood out as one of the franchise\u2019s most dependable match shapers. After the historic campaign, captain Rajat Patidar made sure Krunal\u2019s role didn\u2019t go unnoticed, posting a composed Instagram tribute that captured the all-rounder\u2019s influence in a single line.<\/p>\n
Bengaluru\u2019s title-winning journey featured 11 wins in total, including nine victories in the league phase, followed by success in Qualifier 1 and then the final itself. The season felt built around steadiness and control rather than bursts of brilliance alone, and it closely mirrored Patidar\u2019s pre-season messaging. The skipper had insisted they were not trying to defend a trophy\u2014they were simply hunting for the next one, and the results reflected that mindset.<\/p>\n
Krunal\u2019s output during the tournament helped turn that team identity into tangible results. He finished with 226 runs and 14 wickets, earning a place in the franchise record books by becoming the first player in RCB\u2019s history to complete the rare 200-run and 10-wicket double in a single IPL season. That \u201cquiet hero\u201d reputation wasn\u2019t just reputation anymore\u2014it was backed by numbers that swung key periods of matches.<\/p>\n
The championship added yet another milestone to Krunal\u2019s evolving IPL story. This 2026 triumph marked his fifth title overall and his second with RCB. He previously tasted glory three times with Mumbai Indians, winning in 2017, 2019, and 2020, before joining RCB and adding to his trophy haul with another defining chapter.<\/p>\n
After the celebrations, Patidar\u2019s Instagram post offered a neat snapshot of how the dressing room viewed Krunal\u2019s impact. With a caption that read, \u201cThe aura was never in question! \ud83e\udd76\u201d, the RCB captain highlighted the aura and authority Krunal brought\u2014particularly in the moments when a match could tilt either way.<\/p>\n
For Krunal himself, the back-to-back title success in 2025 and 2026 became the ultimate stage to prove his \u201cclutch\u201d credentials. RCB had secured him for Rs 5.75 crore in the 2025 mega auction, and from there he grew into a player who delivered when the pressure was highest. In Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans, he produced a match-defining all-round show\u2014scoring 43 off 28 balls and striking with the ball to return figures of 2\/16. Then, in the final, he again stepped up with the kind of economical bowling that helps a chase or defend become manageable, taking 1\/23 in four overs to play a direct role in RCB sealing the championship.<\/p>\n
Across the season, Krunal operated as a stabiliser and enforcer in the middle overs, consistently squeezing scoring opportunities and keeping momentum under control. His economy rate of 8.41 throughout the campaign underlined why he was such a valuable presence from one end of the innings to the other.<\/p>\n
Stay tuned for all the latest coverage from the IPL 2026 Final between RCB and GT, including live match updates, the newest IPL news, the complete tournament schedule, and the race for the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Royal Challengers Bengaluru\u2019s dream run of successive IPL titles was powered by a side-wide aura of dominance, and Krunal Pandya once again stood out as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Krunal Pandya IPL Impact: Rajat Patidar Tribute","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Rajat Patidar\u2019s Instagram tribute spotlights Krunal Pandya\u2019s IPL impact\u2014his match-shaping brilliance helped RCB\u2019s title-winning run stay unstoppable.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n