Krunal Pandya is an Indian cricketer who was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on March 24, 1991. The left-handed batter bowls orthodox left-arm slow.
In the shorter formats of the game, the all-rounder is known for his aggressive batting and wicket-taking abilities, but he is yet to wear the Indian senior team jersey.
Career
Domestic Career
Krunal Pandya’s father moved from Surat to Vadodara in 1997-98 to provide him with better cricket facilities after seeing his son’s talent. Kiran More’s Cricket Academy enrolled Pandya.
However, the issue emerged after his father’s health began to deteriorate. Pandya used to play small tournaments in the nearby villages for about Rs. 500 a match while he was in dire financial straits. He progressed through the ranks of different age-level crickets over time. Krunal made his domestic T20 debut for Baroda in March 2013, scoring 12 runs off 11 deliveries and investing 15 runs in 2 overs in a Group B match against Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
He was the one who got List started. In November 2014, he started his career with a brisk 28 off 20 balls against Gujarat in the West Zone match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Pandya made his first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy in October 2016, after a two-year wait, in a Group A match against Gujarat. In 17 overs, he scored 23 runs and took two wickets.
Krunal scored a duck and went wicketless in his India A debut against South Africa A in a Tri-nations ODI tournament in Pretoria in July 2017. In the third match, he came back high, scoring 48 runs off just 27 deliveries and bowling economically against Afghanistan. Pandya’s all-round effort helped Baroda reach the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-finals in 2016-17. In eight matches, he scored 366 runs at 45.75 and took 11 wickets at 25.09. His 70 runs and three wickets helped Baroda beat a solid Karnataka team.
IPL Career
Despite the fact that he has yet to make his first-class debut, the Mumbai Indians talent scouts saw his potential and vigorously pursued him, eventually signing him for Rs 2.2 crores. In his first IPL season in 2016, a ferocious inning of 86 runs off 37 balls against Delhi Daredevils catapulted him into the spotlight. Krunal was selected at a staggering price of Rs 8.8 crores in the 2018 IPL auction after two fruitful seasons with the franchise, making him the most valuable uncapped player in IPL history.
Krunal scored 243 runs at 34.71 with a strike rate of 135.75 in the 2017 IPL and took 10 wickets at an economy rate of 6.83. Pandya was named ‘Man of the Match’ for his 47 off 38 deliveries in the final, which led them to a one-run victory over Rising Pune Supergiants. In the 2020 seaso, Pandya is predicted to add the same pressure.
International Career
Pandya was named to India’s Twenty20 International (T20I) squads for their tours to the West Indies and Australia in October 2018. On November 4, 2018, he made his T20I debut for India against the West Indies, taking one wicket and scoring an unbeaten 21 runs off nine balls. He was named to India’s Twenty20 International team and featured in all three matches against Australia. He conceded 55 runs in four overs in the first match, but took 1/26 in the second T20I and received the Player of the Match award for his bowling effort of 4/36 in four overs in the third match.
Background
Krunal Pandya was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on March 24, 1991, to Himanshu and Malini Pandya. Krunal had a lot of challenges growing up, particularly in terms of finances. Hardik Pandya, Krunal’s younger brother, also represents India on the international stage. In the IPL, the two brothers both play for the Mumbai Indians. The rise of the ‘Pandya Brothers,’ as they are known, is a tribute to their upbringing in difficult circumstances. Krunal and Pankhuri Sharma have been married since 2017.