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NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowlers produced a clinical performance in the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans, but one moment stood above the rest — Krunal Pandya‘s clever dismissal of Jos Buttler that even earned praise from batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.After being asked to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Gujarat Titans struggled for momentum and eventually finished on 155 for 8. Among the wickets that hurt them most was the departure of Buttler, one of their most reliable batters this season.The England star had amassed 526 runs during the campaign and was seen as GT’s best hope of steering the innings towards a competitive total after the early dismissals of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.
Sachin applauds Krunal’s game awareness
Shortly after Buttler’s dismissal, Tendulkar took to social media to applaud Krunal’s intelligence and execution.“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,” Tendulkar wrote.The praise from one of cricket’s greatest batters highlighted the quality of the delivery and the awareness shown by Krunal under pressure in the biggest match of the season.WATCH:Buttler outfoxed in crucial momentThe decisive moment came on the first ball of the 13th over.Having noticed Buttler repeatedly looking to use his feet, Krunal kept his eyes fixed on the batter until the final instant before firing in a quick, wide delivery outside off stump.Buttler advanced down the track but was beaten completely by the pace and angle of the ball. Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma gathered cleanly and whipped off the bails to send the England batter back for 19 off 23 deliveries.Krunal celebrated with a trademark roar as RCB players realised the significance of the breakthrough. Buttler had begun to settle in and was expected to accelerate in the latter half of the innings.The wicket proved pivotal as GT failed to build any substantial partnerships thereafter.While unheralded pacer Rasikh Salam Dar starred with figures of 3 for 27 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood claimed two wickets apiece, Krunal’s lone scalp arguably carried the biggest impact.Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 50 off 37 balls helped Gujarat Titans reach 155 for 8.
