The on-field rivalry between Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya caught attention during the recent IPL 2026 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI). The clip quickly went viral, leading to widespread speculation among fans of a possible rift between the two brothers.
Royal Challengers Bangalore scored 240/4 with strong innings from Phil Salt and captain Rajat Patidar, then restricted Mumbai Indians to 222/5. Rumors of tension between Hardik and Krunal started during India’s T20 World Cup 2026 celebrations in Ahmedabad and grew stronger after the incidents at Wankhede.
During the match, the usual friendly relationship between Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya was not visible. Krunal started his spell with a sharp bouncer on Hardik, who responded coolly without any conversation.
Hardik scored 40 runs in 22 balls while chasing a big target, but fell while trying to attack Jacob Duffy, who has been the leading wicket-taker for RCB this season. Romario Shepherd took the catch to dismiss him.
The wicket came at a crucial moment in the game and Krunal reacted with an emotional and aggressive celebration. This was a significant success for Royal Challengers Bangalore while defending the target.
Brotherhood was at its peak, emotions were at its peak#MIvRCB | [Mumbai Indians, Rohit, Kohli, Tilak, Rajat Patidar] pic.twitter.com/CTEtAgcNiB
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) 12 April 2026
The tension increased further when both the brothers started avoiding shaking hands after the match. Although they remained professional, they did not acknowledge each other and the moment quickly went viral, leading to speculation among fans about their relationship.
Krunal Pandya did not go to shake hands with Hardik Pandya.
Is everything normal between them??#hardikpandya #MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/WhxPKEwcZP– Impact Player (@whypratik) 12 April 2026
Rumors of rift between Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya have intensified after the T20 World Cup.
Rumors of a family rift surfaced for the first time after the historic T20 World Cup win. Krunal Pandya and his wife Pankhuri Sharma remained silent on social media and did not publicly congratulate Hardik Pandya for his performance and comeback.
The situation reportedly became more complicated after Hardik’s divorce from Natasa Stankovic. Krunal was seen at events with Natasa, while Hardik was seen with his girlfriend Mahika Sharma, showing the growing distance in the family.
Hardik did not wish his brother on social media even on his recent birthday. Additionally, both the brothers were also involved in a ₹4 crore fraud case involving their half-brother Vaibhav Pandya earlier this year, further straining their relationship.
Krunal Pandya gave a match winning performance
Royal Challengers Bangalore made a huge score of 241. Captain Rajat Patidar scored 53 runs in 20 balls, which included five fours and a six. Virat Kohli and Phil Salt gave a strong start. After this, Krunal Pandya played an important role in defending the target with disciplined bowling.
On a high scoring pitch, Krunal gave only 26 runs in four overs. He also took the crucial wicket of Suryakumar Yadav, which broke Mumbai Indians’ momentum at the crucial stage and helped RCB stay in control.
Krunal has been a key player for RCB since joining the Lucknow Super Giants. He took 17 wickets in last season’s title-winning campaign and has already taken five wickets in four matches this season.
Also read: Trouble for Vaibhav Suryavanshi! BCCI issues statement on RR anti-corruption protocol violation case in IPL 2026
