‘He watched batter's feet’: Sachin’s HUGE praise for RCB bowler in IPL final 2026

Ahmedabad: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya for his brilliant bowling performance during the IPL 2026 final against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

“What a fabulous delivery by @krunalpandya24! He watched the batter's feet until the very last moment before releasing the perfect ball to send him back to the dressing room,” Sachin wrote in X. 

His remark came shortly after Jos Buttler was stumped off Krunal Pandya, having been completely bamboozled by the all-rounder’s clever variations.

Krunal Pandya’s disciplined bowling, combined with a clinical spell from the RCB attack, left the Gujarat Titans reeling early in their innings. Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that paid immediate dividends.

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Gujarat Titans suffered a dramatic top-order collapse. Josh Hazlewood removed Shubman Gill early, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Sai Sudharsan, reducing GT to two quick blows inside the powerplay. Krunal Pandya then outfoxed Jos Buttler with a sharp delivery that led to a stumping, further deepening the damage.

Rasikh Salam Dar also chipped in, picking up his second wicket by removing Rahul Tewatia, as Gujarat slipped to five down. Earlier, Nishant Sindhu had fallen inside the first 10 overs, compounding GT’s troubles.

Eventually, Royal Challengers Bengaluru restricted Gujarat Titans to 155 for 8.

Sooryavanshi’s Orange cap moment

Amid the high-pressure final, attention also turned to Rajasthan Royals youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose sensational season had already secured him the IPL 2026 Orange Cap. With Gujarat’s top-order failures, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan were unable to mount any challenge to his tournament-leading tally, officially confirming the 15-year-old as the season’s highest run-scorer.

Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking campaign, highlighted by explosive innings, a high strike rate, and unprecedented six-hitting, remains one of the standout stories of IPL 2026.