During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, the sibling rivalry between Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya was on full display. When Krunal came out to bat at No. 3 for LSG, Hardik was seen exchanging words with his brother as he prepared to take strike.
Sibling rivalry
In a video posted by JioCinema, the GT skipper could be heard giving instructions to his teammates about how to dismiss Krunal. Hardik tried to provoke a reaction from his brother, but Krunal remained unfazed and just adjusted his gloves and helmet.
"We were pulling our legs a bit. He told me before the game that I will go after you, I told him that the last time he went after me, I got him out so don't repeat the mistake," Krunal told the broadcasters.
During the chase of a modest target of 136 set by Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants had made their way to 105/1 in 14 overs, and victory seemed within reach with just 31 runs required off the next six overs and KL Rahul batting at the crease after scoring a half-century. However, in the following five overs, GT bowlers put the brakes on the run flow and took two wickets, conceding only 19 runs. Going into the last over, LSG needed 12 runs off six balls, a tough but not impossible target, particularly with Rahul, who had scored 66, still at the crease.
GT choke LSG
Mohit Sharma from GT bowled well and succeeded in taking the wickets of Rahul and Marcus Stoinis consecutively. After that, Ayush Badoni and Deepak Hooda were run out on the fourth and fifth deliveries, respectively. With these events, LSG's fate was sealed, and they ultimately lost the game by seven runs.
After the match, LSG's skipper, KL Rahul, expressed his disappointment with the loss. He was unsure of how the defeat had occurred and could not pinpoint the exact mistake made by his team. Despite his confusion, Rahul acknowledged that losing is a part of cricket and that they must accept it. Rahul also praised his team's bowling performance and felt that the target set by GT was ten runs below par. Even though LSG had a promising start with the bat, they could not maintain their momentum, and as a result, they lost the match.
