Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 11 (ANI): After Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a nervy win over Mumbai Indians (MI), former South African cricketer Mark Boucher hailed Krunal Pandya's masterful 73 while battling cramps, noting how desperately the all-rounder wanted to pull off a win for the defending champions.

Krunal fell, Krunal fought, and it all paid off as his counter-attacking 73 in 46 balls, laced with four boundaries and five sixes, paved the way for a final ball win for RCB, with two wickets to spare. This is Krunal's only third half-century in the IPL, but perhaps one of his best, considering the tricky, uneven wicket at Raipur, where chasing a modest 167 looked like a massive mountain to climb.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the 'Player of the Match' for his four-wicket haul and a game-turning six in the final over, it would be absolutely fair to say that the duo should have shared the award, given how instrumental they both were in taking RCB to the top of the table.

This knock has been another fine display of hitting, with a calculative mind from Krunal this season, who has once again found his batting mojo this season, having scored 141 runs in six innings at an average of 35.50 and a strike rate of 150.00.

Speaking on JioHotStar's 'Match Centre Live', JioStar expert Boucher said that he sees a 'street fighter' in Krunal, who might not be the most pleasing batter to the eye, but he does not go down without a fight.

'In low-scoring games, you need street fighters to win you matches. When I look at Krunal Pandya, I see a street fighter. He's not always easy on the eye, but he finds a way. It's like the dog in a fight, he just wouldn't go down. I think the Mumbai Indians showed some great intent. There was a lot of desperation, but they were really up against one man, and that was Krunal Pandya,' he said.

'He did his part brilliantly. At one point, it looked like he could barely stand anymore; he was just standing there swinging. And when he swung, most of the time, he hit the middle of the bat. This game has to go down as a massive tick for Krunal Pandya. He wanted it desperately; you could see it in his eyes,' he signed off.

Coming to the match, RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first. The decision seemed to pay off when MI sank to 28/3 within the powerplay courtesy of a Bhuvneshwar masterclass. However, Naman Dhir (47 in 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and Tilak Varma (57 in 42, with three fours and two sixes) built the innings with an 82-run stand, taking MI to 166/7 in 20 overs.

Bhuvneshwar (4/23) was the pick of the bowlers for RCB, with Josh Hazlewood (1/33) and Romario Shepherd (1/18 in three overs) also chipping in useful overs with the ball.

During the chase, RCB lost Virat Kohli (0) for a second successive golden duck and eventually sank to 39/3, with Deepak Chahar (2/33) dictating the game. However, Krunal built a 55-run stand with Jacob Bethell (26 in 27 balls, with two fours) and another useful 38-run stand with Jitesh Sharma (18), reaching a brilliant counter-attacking fifty. However, Corbin Bosch (4/26) and Allah Ghazanfar (1/33) pulled off things with crucial wickets, removing Krunal as well, reducing RCB to 149/7 in 18 overs.

Romario Shepherd (4 in 11 balls) struggled against Jasprit Bumrah (0/20), leaving RCB with 12 to get in the final over. A flurry of extras from Raj Angad Bawa and a six from Bhuvneshwar helped ease the pressure despite Romario's dismissal, and RCB secured a last-ball win, with Rasikh Salam Dar (3*) hitting the winning runs.

With seven wins and four losses, RCB is at the top of the points table, with 14 points. MI is at the ninth spot with three wins and eight losses, eliminated from the playoff race along with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). (ANI)