IPL 2018: Krunal Pandya reveals about his brotherly bond with Hardik Pandya

The Mumbai Indians roared back into the contest with a staggering win over the Kings XI Punjab in the first game of the IPL 2018 season at the Holkar Stadium, Indore. It was a must-win encounter for the defending champions to keep their hopes of qualifying to the playoffs well alive.

The Mumbai Indians won the game by six wickets and with this convincing victory, they also climbed to the fifth position in the points tally, due to a positive net run-rate. All-rounder Krunal Pandya played a spectacular knock, in the end, to take his side past the finishing line in a nervy run-chase.

We both are under immense pressure when one of us are batting: Krunal

Both Krunal and Hardik have been match-winning performers for the Mumbai Indians in the last two seasons of the IPL. Both brothers have consistently contributed with their all-round abilities to help the team register some convincing and hard-fought victories. After the game against the Kings, Krunal mentioned that it is a very nervy time for both him and Hardik, when one of them is batting and revealed that the brotherly bond is always alive between them.

“Not at all. When he (Hardik) is playing I feel the pressure. When I am playing, he feels pressure outside. That brotherly bond is always there,” said Krunal in the post-match conversation.

Gayle power and the middle order trouble for the Kings

The Kings XI Punjab openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle once again provided a steady start in the powerplay overs. The big West Indian opener certainly did not play a much explosive knock according to his high standards, but his half-century certainly was a definite foundation for the rest of the batters to carry on. However, the middle-order batsmen failed to take the Kings past challenging first innings total and thus they finished with 174 runs on the board, courtesy some late blitz from the all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

Pandya bros come to the rescue after Suryakumar’s fifty

The Mumbai Indians also got off to a good opening provided by their two openers, but at a slow rate. Suryakumar Yadav held on the innings for his team and compiled a solid half-century to lead the chase. However, after Yadav’s wicket things looked troublesome for the Mumbai franchise. But the Pandya brothers contributed with important cameos to win the game for their team with one over to spare.

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