In this high-pressure IPL 2025 encounter between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Krunal Pandya was dismissed in an unusual manner that added to the match drama. While chasing a challenging target of 232 runs, Pandya fell victim to the rare hit-wicket dismissal. While playing an aggressive shot, Pandya accidentally dislodged the bails with his bat before he played the shot, ending his innings far, far earlier than anyone hoped and leaving RCB in dire straits in terms of overall run rate. 

This dismissal was only the 17th hit-wicket in IPL history and the second at the time in IPL 2025, showing how rare this mode of dismissal is at the apex of the sport. As a moment to notice in the match, this dismissal could not have come at a worse time for RCB, as they were already under pressure against an in-form SRH bowling attack led by Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga. Pandya's exit further destabilized RCB's middle order and contributed to their eventual collapse and defeat by 42 runs. 

In spite of Krunal's unfortunate dismissal, the match had plenty of highlights, from Ishan Kishan's explosive unbeaten 94 to SRH's tremendous bowling performances. The hit-wicket incident, while rare, was a reminder of how even the smallest lapse in concentration or balance can prove costly in the fast-paced IPL environment.

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When was the last time you saw a Hit-Wicket .. courtesy Krunal Pandya.

Only HaaRCB can lose last 7 wickets in 24 balls 🫡🫡#RCBvsSRH pic.twitter.com/KPcQr1ddQR

— Atulya (@DesiMemesTweets) May 23, 2025

Also Read: IPL 2025, Match 65: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Full Match Highlights

The Impact of a Rare Hit-Wicket Dismissal

Hit-wicket dismissals are easily the most odd ball way on which a batsman can get out and usually only happen when a batsman loses balance or mis-times a shot. For Krunal Pandya, who is typically an aggressive but still composed batsman, the dismissal will be both surprising and unfortunate because hit-wicket dismissals negatively impact a player's confidence and change the momentum to the fielding side.

From the context of the game, Krunal Pandya's dismissals increased the pressure on RCB's batting lineup. Therefore, with wickets falling around him, it was hard for the team to maintain the momentum they needed to chase down a big score. What transpired later was a rare mode of dismissal that in a way, symbolically captured RCB's struggles during the innings. As IPL 2025 moves ahead, players and teams will want to restrain such oddities and focus on being calm and composed under pressure in order to continue to pursue their playoff ambitions.