Krunal Pandya IPL Profile

Born on 24th March 1991 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Krunal Pandya is an Indian international cricketer who plays for Baroda in domestic cricket and for Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League. 

Krunal spent his childhood, training at Kiran More’s Cricket Academy after his father shifted from Surat to Vadodara to equip him with better cricket facilities. He is the elder brother of Indian star Hardik Pandya. 

Krunal has not gained a similar spotlight as his brother nor he has the exact flamboyant nature as him. However, he has managed to showcase enough talent to become a handy all-rounder in limited-overs cricket. He is a left-handed batter who bowls slow left-arm orthodox. He is known for his economic spells and breaking down partnerships while his destructive batting in the lower order is also admirable.

Krunal encountered several challenges as a child, particularly in the area of finances. He used to compete in local competitions and earned around Rs 500 for each game while under severe financial strain. But he slowly progressed through the ranks of numerous age-level crickets before coming into the books of the Baroda Cricket Board. 

He made his T20 debut with Baroda in 2013 in the Group B encounter against Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.

The Mumbai Indians' talent scouts spotted his talent in 2016, even though he hadn't yet played a single first-class match. The franchise surprisingly acquired him for Rs 2 crore ahead of the IPL 2016. He stood up to the hype and became one of the integral cog in the Mumbai Indians’ history ever after. 

In his first IPL season in 2016, an outrageous inning of 86 runs off 37 balls against the Delhi Daredevils thrust him into the spotlight. He remained for six seasons with Mumbai Indians being one of the pillars of their IPL success. 

In 2022, Lucknow Super Giants snapped him for Rs 8.25 crore. His impressive performances in the domestic circuit and IPL also saw him getting a call in the national team. 

Krunal made his T20I debut for India against the West Indies on 4 November 2018, taking one wicket and scoring an unbeaten 21 runs off 9 balls. He made his ODI debut for India, against England in 2021.