BENGALURU: Nearly 15 years ago, on matting wickets in Palej, a small town in Gujarat’s Bharuch district, a lanky youngster learnt the value of adaptation. Bowling with coated balls in local village tournaments, he quickly realised there would be little assistance for spin and survival depended on discipline, control and innovation. Those early lessons in constantly reinventing himself continue to define Krunal Pandya even today, as he features in his 11th Indian Premier League season.The elder of the Pandya brothers, Krunal, who has represented India in five ODIs and 19 T20Is, has emerged as a vital cog in defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s spin attack over the past two seasons. Krunal’s impactful spell of 2/17 in last year’s final earned him the Player of the Match award and underlined his value in pressure situations.
As RCB push to defend their crown, the 35-year-old left-arm spinner is also quietly nurturing hopes of an India comeback, having last worn national colours in July 2021.Years of hard work on and off the field, coupled with the highs and lows of professional cricket, have made Krunal more reflective and grounded. Now one of the most experienced all-rounders in the league, he remains driven by the urge to evolve and contribute.In an exclusive interview with TOI, Krunal — who has played 152 IPL matches since making his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2016 — spoke about longevity, reinventing his bowling and his enduring India ambitions.Excerpts:It’s your 11th year in the IPL. How do you see your evolution as a player?The evolution feels very grateful and honestly, when you start playing at the highest level, you want to play as long as you can. For me, what I feel proud of is longevity. I am into my 11th season, and that is a sign that I have constantly gotten better. As a player, I have always focused on trying to become the best version of myself.Over the years, there has been a lot of learning. I have seen extreme days in the last 10 years. That has made me more humble and given me more gratitude towards the sport and life as well. The goal is to continue doing what I do, which is to get better and win games for my team.Is that where your desire to reinvent yourself comes from?Yes. Reinventing myself is part of the process. The good thing with me is that I don’t shy away from trying new things. If I believe something can work for me and give me an extra edge in the sport, I always give it a shot.But it is never about trying something flashy or doing something just to look cool. There is always a lot of logic and thought behind the changes, execution and outcome.I haven’t suddenly started bowling a bouncer or a slinger overnight. There has been a lot of practice behind it.
Krunal Pandya (BCCI Photo)
Amid your commitment towards RCB and Baroda, where does your India ambition stand?It is right there, at the top of the table. There is nothing bigger than playing for the country. The thought process about representing India never changes.Whatever opportunities I got to represent India, I did well. I firmly believe in focusing on what is in your hands, which is playing your sport at your best.What specific mechanical shift helped you move from a collapsing front leg to a stronger vertical brace?It is fitness. Sometimes, we don’t highlight enough the work that happens behind the scenes. At the end of the day, it is important to acknowledge what has worked.For me, the fitter you are, the more things you can adapt to. Sometimes as a cricketer or even as a person, you know what you want to improve at, but your body may not allow it because you are not fit enough to adapt to new things.Trying to become the fittest version of myself has helped me develop new things in my game.Has your new release height helped you generate more bounce and zip off the surface?Yes, obviously, I have worked a lot on my bowling. When I bowl left-arm spin now, I am much taller in my action than before. I have shortened my stride to get more bounce because in the IPL, you hardly get spin from the wicket.So the question becomes: how do you deceive batters? I have worked on my action to get that extra bounce by staying tall. I have realised that the best cricket I have played in my career has come when I have followed my instincts.Can you elaborate on making the short ball a wicket-taking option?People have emphasized a lot on the short ball I bowl. In the last two years, I saw some stats where I had bowled the maximum number of bouncers, which is strange.But I don’t focus on any one particular delivery. My only focus is staying one step ahead of the batter.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Krunal Pandya bowls. (ANI Photo)
Given the limited batting opportunities you’ve had over the past few years, how have you worked on it?Over the past 3-4 years, I haven’t had too many opportunities to bat in the IPL. That said, the thought process remains the same. How can I evolve? How can I get better? In the past two years as a batting unit, we have done unbelievably well, so I don’t have any complaints about me not batting. But yeah, whenever the opportunity comes, I will give my 100%.Over 1800 runs and in excess of 100 wickets in IPL, how satisfying is that in his journey? If I have to sum it up in one word, grateful. And for me, the icing on the cake is those four trophies (three with the Mumbai Indians) which I’ve had an opportunity to lift. You are not somebody who backs down from challenges. Does that come naturally to you?Yes. I have learnt that from my parents. They never back down from anything. That willpower to keep fighting and never give up comes very naturally to me because of them.
