Krunal's heroics? Bhuvneshwar's spell buried MI

Commentators and fans credited Krunal Pandya's 73 off 46 balls as the decisive factor in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's thrilling victory over Mumbai Indians. Social media clips highlighted his partnerships and acceleration despite cramps in the chase of 167 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Hindustan Times called his innings a steadying force amid the game's big hitting.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismantled Mumbai Indians' batting with four wickets for 23 runs at an economy of 5.75 to hold them to 166 for seven. He leads the Purple Cap race with 21 wickets at 7.46 economy this season, per Times of India. Josh Hazlewood took one for 33, while Mumbai Indians' Naman Dhir scored 47 off 32 and Tilak Varma made 57 off 42.

Krunal Pandya anchored the chase from 39 for three, and Jacob Bethell added 27 off 27 balls to secure the last-ball win. RCB coach Andy Flower received a 15 per cent match fee fine for a Level 1 Code of Conduct breach over a boundary call, as Times of India reported. Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene blamed injuries to Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Mitchell Santner for their playoff exit after eight defeats in 11 games. Ravichandran Ashwin called for Bhuvneshwar Kumar's India T20I return based on his powerplay and death skills. Royal Challengers Bengaluru join RCB, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans on 14 points atop the table.