Krunal's wild celebration and skipped handshake fuel Pandya brothers rift speculation
The Wankhede crowd saw something unusual on Sunday night. After Royal Challengers Bengaluru's 18-run victory over Mumbai Indians in Match 20 of IPL 2026, the two Pandya brothers walked off the field without so much as a glance at each other. No hug, no handshake, nothing.
On-field flashpoints
It started early. Krunal greeted Hardik with a bouncer when Mumbai's captain came to the crease during the chase of 241. The older brother's spell of 1 for 26 in four overs was tidy and important, but it was the moment after Hardik's dismissal that grabbed all the attention. Jacob Duffy got the wicket, removing Hardik for 40 off 20 balls, and Krunal sprinted in to celebrate with a fist-pump that looked more like a war cry. He hugged Romario Shepherd, pumped his chest and barely looked at the other end of the pitch.
Cameras lingered on the scene. Commentators paused. Fans on social media did not.
The backstory fans keep pointing to
Speculation about tension between the brothers has simmered since Hardik's divorce from Natasa Stankovic was confirmed in mid-2024. Several reports have noted that Krunal's wife, Pankhuri Sharma, has remained publicly close to Natasa since the separation, while Hardik has been seen regularly with his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma. Fans have pointed to what they call "radio silence" between the two families on social media, and Sunday's events at Wankhede only added fuel.
Phil Salt's 78 led the way as RCB piled up 240 for 4, with Rajat Patidar adding 53 and Virat Kohli making 50 at the top. Mumbai's reply was built around Sherfane Rutherford's blistering unbeaten 71 off 31 balls, but it was not enough. Hardik contributed with bat and ball, taking 1 for 39 and scoring his quickfire 40, yet the evening belonged to the visitors.
Neither camp has addressed the handshake incident publicly. For now, it sits where most IPL drama sits: in clips shared a million times and opinions offered by everyone except the people involved.
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