Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya says he enjoys playing in high-pressure matches and is excited about the IPL 2026 final, where defending champions RCB will take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Notably, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar has won the toss and opted to bowl against Gujarat Titans (GT).
Krunal's Performance for RCB in IPL 2025 Final
The venue holds special memories for Krunal and RCB.It was here that the team won its first IPL title in 2025. Krunal played a key role in that victory and was named Player of the Match after taking 2 wickets for 17 runs in his four-over spell.
“I mean, it's been good till now. I hope I continue that consistency (of being in four finals and winning all). The pressure in those games is much higher, and I like that because it helps me keep my nerves calm so I can execute the necessary skills in that particular moment.I enjoy, I love this sort of atmosphere.
“And that's what you play the sport for, right? So like something like this, a big final, 120,000 people here. You work really hard as a team for two and a half months and then you have one game to play for the trophy. So it's pretty exciting for me,” Pandya said in a pre-game chat with the broadcasters.
Krunal on Favourites in final
When asked about RCB being considered favourites for the final, Krunal said labels do not matter in a tournament as competitive as the IPL. According to him, every team has players capable of winning matches on their own, which makes every game a fresh challenge.
“That's what everyone else speaks about it. But what I have realised with my experience of 11 years playing in this league is nothing comes easy. You have to grind every run, every wicket, every ball, every game.
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“So regardless whether you are a favourite or whether you are underdogs, regardless how many games you have won before, on that particular day, you have to just go out there and execute your skill because the beauty of this tournament is that every team has so many match winners. When you see match winners, that means on that particular day they can win you games. So you just have to be on your 'A' game from ball one to the last ball.”
Krunal on RCB's break after Qualifier 1
Krunal also felt the short break between RCB's Qualifier 1 win in Dharamshala and the final has helped the players recover and prepare better for the title clash.He said the extra days have given the team time to refresh mentally and physically before the biggest match of the season.
“I mean, yes, I won't deny that fact because it's almost two and a half months into the tournament, right? And before playing the finals, if you get that three, four days break, that's a really good time to recover well and be fresh for the game. So that's a bit of an advantage. But again, where we play, everyone's fitness level is top notch. So again, it boils down to how you go out there and execute your skill.”
RCB vs GT playing XIs
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar.