RCB’s Champion Support Acts: ‘Exceptional’ Rasikh and ‘Unbelievable Package’ Krunal

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have won the IPL 2026 title, and while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood were the big names in the bowling attack, it was ‘Exceptional’ Rasikh and ‘unbelievable package’ Krunal who made massive contributions to the team’s success.

Rasikh’s Impressive Performance

Rasikh Salam finished the season with 19 wickets, four more than Hazlewood, with an economy rate of 9.45. In the final against Gujarat Titans (GT), Salam struck on the final ball of his second over to get Nishant Sindhu for 20 and stunt GT’s recovery. He finished with 3 for 27 and was even on a hat-trick at one stage.

Varun Aaron praised Salam’s performance, saying, ‘He has done his job throughout the season in a very quiet fashion, but he has given them that stability of that third seamer. He has picked up wickets, which is most important in today’s game. Again, he does it today [in the final]. Three wickets in the final at an economy of under seven [6.75] – you’d take that any given day.’

Krunal’s All-Round Impact

Krunal Pandya had an all-round impact for RCB, with 14 wickets, 226 runs at an average of 37.66, and a strike rate of 145.80. Tom Moody said Krunal’s experience of 158 IPL matches was key, and that he is an ‘unbelievable package’ as a top-six batter who plays well under pressure.

Aaron praised Krunal’s mental skill and ability to do something different with the ball, saying, ‘He’s mentally very skilful because he knows who to bowl which ball to, which is very important. He knows who’s trying to attack him where. I think he’s very, very astute when we talk about his game plans, [and] when we talk about how he goes about even his batting.’

RCB’s championship win is a testament to the team’s depth and the contributions of players like Rasikh and Krunal, who may not have been in the spotlight but played a crucial role in the team’s success.