Sunrisers Hyderabad (RCB) owner Kavya Maran sparked a major debate on social media after questioning the bowling action of Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder Krunal Pandya. Kavya made animated gestures during the match, with many fans claiming that she accused the left-arm spinner of chucking.
Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 55 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday, May 22. Chasing a mammoth target of 256, Bengaluru could only score 200/4 in their 20 overs. However, due to Net Run Rate (NRR), Hyderabad team remained at third position.
Kavya Maran indirectly accused Krunal Pandya of cheating
During the 17th over of the first innings, Krunal Pandya tried a surprising change against Nitish Kumar Reddy. Kavya Maran was left stunned after the left-arm spinner bowled a sharp bouncer over the batsman’s head. After this the SRH owner turned towards the people sitting next to her with a surprised expression.
The ball went so high that the on-field umpire declared it wide, due to which Krunal had to bowl again. Despite surprising the spectators with an unusual bouncer, the all-rounder dismissed Heinrich Klaasen in the same over. He finished with figures of 1/24 in his two-over spell.
Kavya Maran’s reaction to Krunal Pandya’s bowling action was priceless
She did not look happy with this.
He said “What are you putting here brother?” The expression was so funny pic.twitter.com/WYPeU4Nbsj– Rohan (@rohann__45) 22 May 2026
Krunal has developed new variations to trouble aggressive batsmen in T20 cricket. The left-arm spinner often uses the crease cleverly and bowls from behind the popping crease to confuse the batsmen. He also mixes his regular spin with fast balls and short bouncers to baffle the opponents.
SRH batsmen posted tremendous total
Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a mammoth score of 255/4 after captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first. The top order took full advantage of the batting-friendly pitch and kept the scoring rate high throughout the innings with aggressive stroke play.
For Hyderabad, Ishan Kishan scored 79 runs in 46 balls, which included eight fours and three sixes. Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen also scored quick half-centuries. Klaasen scored 51 runs off 24 balls before Krunal Pandya dismissed him.
The middle order increased the total score by adding quick runs in the death overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy played a useful role in the innings. Immediately after losing the wicket of Klaasen in the 17th over, Reddy hit two consecutive sixes on Krunal.
Chasing a tough target, Royal Challengers Bengaluru focused on defending their top spot in the league standings and preventing Hyderabad from qualifying for Qualifier 1. Despite the huge target and rising required run rate, the visitors batted cautiously to avoid major losses to their net run rate.
Venkatesh Iyer gave a bright start to Bengaluru by scoring 44 runs in 19 balls, while captain Rajat Patidar scored 56 runs in 39 balls. Krunal Pandya also impressed with the bat and reduced the margin of defeat by remaining unbeaten on 41 runs in 31 balls.
The 55-run win sealed a top-three finish for SRH in the race for the playoffs. RCB, Gujarat Titans (GT) and SRH have confirmed the top three positions in the points table. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings (PBKS), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remain in the race for the fourth position.
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