IPL 2025 | Krunal Pandya: A rare acquisition by Royal Challengers

Bengaluru: At first glance, Krunal Pandya might not strike you as an extraordinary talent. A left-arm spinning all-rounder, his abilities aren’t flashy or headline-grabbing. His bowling lies somewhere in the spectrum between left-arm slow medium pace and left-arm fast orthodox spin, while his batting, though punctuated with moments of brilliance -- like his recent knock against Delhi Capitals -- hasn’t consistently hit the top gear.

Yet, there’s a reason why he’s been a part of the Indian Premier League for a solid decade. Across 10 seasons, Krunal has amassed 1744 runs at a strike rate of 132.62 and claimed 89 wickets with an economy of 7.47 -- a remarkable feat in an era where anything under eight runs per over is considered impressive.

“I’ve always been an economical bowler,” Krunal said following the clash with the Capitals last Sunday. “This is my 10th season. As a bowler, I’ve always wanted to be one step ahead, and this season, I’ve worked a lot on my bowling. If you see the variation of speed and knowing batsmen’s strengths, (I am) just using (that) to my advantage. I’m just glad that it’s working in my favour, and I want to keep my head down.”

Krunal’s golden years came with the Mumbai Indians, where he played a pivotal role in their three title triumphs between 2016 and 2021.

Post-2022 auction, he moved to Lucknow Super Giants, even captaining them briefly in the injured KL Rahul’s absence before parting ways after two seasons.

Now 32, Krunal has re-emerged as a force to reckon with, winning games with bat or ball -- and occasionally with both. He has 13 wickets, second behind team-mate Josh Hazlewood, from 10 matches with a best of 4/45 while he has struck a match-winning unbeaten 73 against Capitals. 

Marquee names

Though Royal Challengers Bengaluru have had their share of marquee names, players like Krunal have been rare: someone who can blend experience, enterprise and expertise to provide that cutting edge which transforms a good unit into a formidable one.

“Krunal has got a reputation for a reason,” said RCB’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, after Krunal’s match-winning display against the Capitals. “He’s been a fantastic spin bowler in the IPL for a long time. He’s typically been someone that’s been quite miserly.

“He hasn’t given many runs away with his economy rate. But actually, it’s been good seeing him bowl even more bravely this year and taking more wickets.”

Bobat also revealed that RCB deliberately went after players of Krunal’s caliber during the last mega auction. Rumours even swirled about the Baroda all-rounder being a potential captaincy candidate, before the mantle was handed to Rajat Patidar following Virat Kohli’s reported reluctance to take up the role.

“I spoke to him at the half-time interval (during Capitals’ match) and he was passionately talking about how some of our fielding positions could have been better. He’s got so much to offer tactically. And then he went out and did the business with the bat as well. So, in the recruitment, we wanted to add players of that ilk, of that experience, guys who can stand up under pressure. And it was great to see Krunal do that today,” Bobat added.

Given Bobat’s unequivocal endorsement, it’s not surprising if and why Krunal was indeed considered for the franchise’s leadership role. But as they say, not all heroes wear capes!