The famous sibling duo of Indian cricket, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya, have long been known for their strong bond, both known for their cluth play.
The Pandya brothers have shared countless memorable moments on the field, sometimes heated rivalry, but always with smiles and mutual sibling love. However, recently, it can be seen that things have changed between the two brothers. During the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians Indian Premier League 2026 Match 20, tensions between Hardik and Krunal appeared publicly and caught fans attention for the visible lack of warmth between them.
What Happened between Hardik and Krunal Pandya?
The moment that sparked widespread discussion came when Krunal Pandya celebrated the MI captain Hardik's dismissal with an extravagant show of agression, more than enough, worth noticeable by fans. Even more doubtful was the absence of any interaction between the two, no smiles, no words exchanged, this was something fans are not used to seeing from the Pandya brothers.
Reports on social media, including posts from Indian sports networks, have suggested that this may not be an isolated incident. Tensions between the two have been brewing for some time, and their on-field behavior during this match seemed to confirm those rumors. While nothing has been officially stated by either player, the visuals have certainly raised questions among fans and analysts alike.
"For many days, reports had been suggesting that the relationship between Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya is not as good as before. Today on the field, it seemed to be proven. Hardik and Krunal didn't even look at each other or exchange any words. And when Hardik Pandya got out, Krunal Pandya even showed aggression towards him. These scenes from the field are raising many questions," reads the tweet.
Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians Suffer Third Defeat of IPL 2026
As for the match itself, it was a run-fest at Wankhede. Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to field first, hoping to secure their second win of the season but they ended up suffering their third defeat as RCB came out firing.
Phil Salt finally found his rything with a knock of 78 runs off just 36 balls. Virat Kohli contributed with a steady half-century, while captain Rajat Patidar smashed a 53 off just 20 deliveries. Tim David added valuable runs at the end, helping RCB post a massive total of 240.
Mumbai Indians didn't falter badly in the chase, but the target was too high. Sherfane Rutherford scored an impressive 71 off 31 balls. However, despite their efforts, they fell short, finishing at 222 and losing the match by 23 runs. Krunal Pandya's took only one wicket, dismissing Suryakumar Yadav for 33.