Krunal Pandya becomes 1st player to accomplish this IPL feat
What's the story
Krunal Pandya made history by becoming the first player to win the Player of the Match (PoTM) award in two different Indian Premier League (IPL) finals.
His latest achievement came during the IPL 2025 final, where he represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Punjab Kings.
The match was played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Here are furter details.
Match impact
Krunal's match-winning spell helps RCB clinch maiden IPL title
Krunal's exceptional bowling spell of 4 overs, conceding just 17 runs and taking 2 wickets, proved instrumental in RCB's first-ever IPL title win.
He dismissed Punjab Kings's top-order batsmen Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis, who were looking dangerous at the time.
His brilliant performance with the ball earned him the PoTM award in the final match as RCB defended the 190-run total.
Past achievement
Recap of his previous PoTM award in IPL final
Krunal had previously won the PoTM award in an IPL final back in 2017.
He scored a crucial 47 runs off 38 balls for Mumbai Indians against the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants, helping MI secure their third IPL title.
With his latest win, Krunal has become one of the few players to have won four or more trophies in the Indian Premier League.
Notably, he won three titles with MI - 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Historical data
Players with PoTM award in IPL final
The PoTM award has been given to different players in every IPL final since its inception in 2008.
The first recipient was Yusuf Pathan from Rajasthan Royals for his all-round performance against Chennai Super Kings.
Notably, Anil Kumble is the only player who won the PoTM award in a final while playing for a losing team.
He had achieved this feat in 2009. Meanwhile, Krunal's brother Hardik has also received this honor, in 2022 for Gujarat Titans.
Statement
'My biggest strength has been to learn...': Krunal
After the match, Krunal spoke about his bowling strategy, saying "When we batted, we realized the slower you bowl the better it is. In this format, you need guts to do it."
He added that he backed himself and thought of varying his pace more often.
"My biggest strength has been to learn what the situation requires," he said, emphasizing his strategic approach to bowling in high-pressure situations like an IPL final.