Krunal Pandya calls fifth IPL title 'incredibly satisfying' with RCB

RCB's Krunal Pandya celebrated his fifth IPL title, calling the achievement 'incredibly satisfying.' He emphasized his motivation for winning team trophies. The article also details RCB's victory over GT, guided by Virat Kohli's 75*.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) veteran all-rounder Krunal Pandya on Monday shared his joy after winning his fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title, calling the achievement "incredibly satisfying." Krunal became one of the IPL's most well-accomplished players, securing his fifth IPL title, his second back-to-back title with RCB and played a crucial role in his team's success in the 2025 and 2026 editions. Before this, he had secured three IPL titles with the Mumbai Indians (MI). The Bengaluru all-rounder also played a vital role in his side's defending the title in the 2026 season.

Winning trophies my biggest motivation: Krunal

Speaking on JioHotstar, Pandya said, "Winning trophies has always been my biggest motivation in cricket because there's no feeling quite like lifting a championship. Individual performances and match wins bring happiness, but winning a tournament is something truly special."

He added, "Throughout my career, I've always visualised and manifested success at the team level, and I've been fortunate enough to be part of sides that have achieved that. To win a fifth IPL trophy in eleven years is incredibly satisfying, and I'm grateful for the journey and the opportunities that have come my way."

RCB beat GT to defend title

Put to bat first by RCB, GT scored just 155/8 in 20 overs, with Washington Sundar (50* in 37 balls, with five fours) and Nishant Sindhu (20 in 18 balls, with three fours) being the only ones to cross the 20-run mark. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) took wickets regularly.

RCB started off well with a 62-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (32 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Virat Kohli. GT showed some fight, reducing RCB to 132/5 at one point, but Virat (75* in 42 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) guided RCB to a win with two overs left.

This is RCB's second IPL title win and overall their fourth Indian franchise cricket trophy, including two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)