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The Pandya brothers have come a long way.
There was a time when they survived on just Maggi noodles for three years while chasing their dream of becoming top cricketers.
Today, Hardik's net worth exceeds ₹100 crores while Krunal's is estimated to be around ₹80 crores.
Brothers in real life, rivals on the field; this was witnessed live during the IPL 2025 match at the Wankhede stadium on Monday, April 7 2025.
And the result -- the elder brother became the match-winner against a team led by his younger brother.
Krunal Pandya delivered a spell of 4 for 45 in his four overs and bowled a brilliant final over to ensure that the Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians crashed to a 12 run defeat at the Wankhede.
Cricket rewards the player who performs best on the day, and on this occasion, it was Krunal.
He proved that, at least for that match, he was the better performer than his more experienced brother.
Hardik's international credentials are impressive, with 94 ODIs, 114 T20Is, and 11 Test matches under his belt.
Krunal, in contrast, has played just five ODIs and 19 T20Is, and is yet to make his Test debut.
The Pandya brothers have come a long way. There was a time when they reportedly survived on just Maggi noodles for three years while chasing their dream of becoming top cricketers.
Today, Hardik's net worth exceeds ₹100 crores while Krunal's is estimated to be around ₹80 crores.
The IPL has played a major role in their success, and when it comes to a match in this high-stakes tournament, there's no room for sentiment -- performance takes precedence.
During the IPL, newspapers often come up with creative headlines. Since Hardik too had a notable performance, my journalist friend Sriram Veera's report in The Indian Express newspaper had this headline: 'Pandyamonium at Wankhede'.
There have been several notable instances of brothers playing against each other in cricket.
Ed Joyce, who initially played for England before returning to represent his birth country, Ireland, faced his brother Dom Joyce in his ODI debut in 2006.
While Ed scored just 10 runs, Dom was dismissed for a duck.
Brett Lee once played against his lookalike brother Shane Lee in an exhibition match between Australia and the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy nine years ago.
Brett dismissed Shane for a duck with a caught-and-bowled effort.
Similarly, legendary batsmen Ian and Greg Chappell played against each other in 1973, representing South Australia and Queensland respectively.
Dave and Mike Hussey faced off in the KFC Big Bash League, and England's Sam and Tom Curran have also played against each other.
Irfan and Yusuf Pathan too have played against each other in the IPL. This list can go on.
Krunal's match-winning performance helped RCB beat Mumbai at the Wankhede for the first time in ten years, handing MI their fourth loss in five games.
Yet, Mumbai Coach Mahela Jayawardene remains optimistic: 'We are playing some good cricket... We were close, but not good enough. Most of the guys are match-winners. It's just that we are not getting that tempo going consistently. I still back the senior pros and all the guys I put out there. They have the skill. It's just that we need to be a bit more ruthless.'
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com