Krunal Pandya Believes Virat Kohli Would Be ‘GOAT’ in Any Generation 

Krunal Pandya recently played a match-winning knock against the Mumbai Indians.

Krunal Pandya Believes Virat Kohli Would Be ‘GOAT’ in Any Generation 

Krunal Pandya lauded Virat Kohli as the 'greatest' player of the era. (via NDTV Sports)

In Short
  • Krunal Pandya praised Virat Kohli's relentless drive and work ethic, declaring him the greatest in any era.
  • Pandya played a crucial role in RCB's win over MI, scoring 73 runs despite battling cramps and pain.
  • Kohli, despite a recent golden duck, continues to impress with his performance, having scored 9,000 runs in the IPL.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya heaped praise on Virat Kohli, pointing to his relentless drive and work ethic. Following the defending champions’ hard-fought win over the Mumbai Indians, he notably declared Kohli to be the ‘greatest’ in any era. 

Krunal Pandya has transformed into a central figure at the Bengaluru-based franchise over the past two seasons. His debut season with RCB in 2025 was nothing short of iconic, as it culminated in the team’s first-ever IPL title. In the final against the Punjab Kings, he delivered a masterclass spell of 2/17, to be named POTM. Pandya’s bowling is marked by his distinctive ‘spin-bouncers’, which keep batters guessing.

Against his former team, MI, Pandya showed off his best in a nail-biting encounter. Batting first, MI could only post a first-innings total of 166/7, with Tilak Varma’s 57 off 42, Naman Dhir’s 47 off 32, and Rohit Sharma’s 22 off 10 being the notable contributions.

For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up a four-wicket haul. During the chase, RCB lost early wickets, until Krunal Pandya hit 73 off 46 balls in a single-handed effort to take his team close to victory.

The most surprising element of the RCB innings was that their talisman, Virat Kohli, was dismissed for a golden duck by Deepak Chahar. It is highly unusual for the ‘chase-master’ to be out without scoring, particularly in back-to-back games, as he was previously bowled out by Lucknow Super Giants’ Prince Yadav.

Despite the setback, Krunal Pandya spoke highly about Kohli, exclaiming that the ex-Indian captain still carries the same intensity and hunger despite having achieved almost everything in the game. Krunal Pandya said on JioStar’s ‘Superstars’:

I have learned a lot just by watching Virat Kohli, the way he prepares for a tournament and the intensity he brings to every practice session… What I have realized is that his hunger is still unbelievable. Those eyes don’t lie.

In a recent interaction, the 35-year-old talked about the things he learned from Kohli, having shared the dressing room with the veteran batting icon. He added that the 37-year-old’s passion sets him apart, in spite of his age. Pandya noted that Kohli’s ‘eyes do not lie’, before declaring that he would have been one of the ‘greatest’ players in any era that he would have played in, not just the 2010s and 2020s.

That is what makes him Virat [Kohli]. I believe if he had played in any era, he would still be one of the greatest. And I feel there is still a lot left in Virat to give to the game.

The ongoing 2026 IPL season has been no different for Kohli, who has scored 379 runs in 11 matches so far, at an average of 42.11 and a much-improved strike-rate of 163.36. Days ago, the RCB veteran became the first player to score 9,000 runs in the IPL.

Shocking photo of Krunal Pandya’s ‘painful’ scar surfaces after RCB-MI clash

Krunal Pandya produced an innings during RCB’s two-wicket win over MI, which might go down as one of the bravest knocks in IPL 2026. After the match, the 35-year-old revealed the pain he faced while batting by posting a picture of a deep bruise on his abdomen.

Krunal Pandya bruise
Krunal Pandya played with a bruise and cramps to help RCB defeat MI. (via India Today)

Pandya walked out to bat in the 6th over, with the team reeling at 39/3. He then put up a much-needed 55-run stand with Jacob Bethell, until the latter’s dismissal in the 13th over. The veteran all-rounder then took it upon himself, scoring 73 runs off 46 balls with the help of 4 fours and 5 sixes, at a strike-rate of 158.70. However, he could finish the game after being dismissed by Allah Ghazanfar in the 18th over. 

As RCB won the match on the final ball, Krunal Pandya was relieved. In the later stages of his innings, the 35-year-old was severely affected by cramps, barely able to move or run between the wickets, and would fall to the ground in pain after each shot. The picture he shared after the game revealed a scar, a brutal blow to his abdomen from a Deepak Chahar delivery, which left a distinct, reddish bruise.

Whether the all-rounder can recover from his injury in time for the Royal Challengers’ next match against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur is still uncertain. This season, he has scored 141 runs in 11 matches and has also claimed 10 wickets.

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