“That Is What Makes Him Virat”: Krunal Pandya Opens Up on Virat Kohli

Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya has opened up on the impact Virat Kohli continues to have inside the RCB dressing room, admitting the former India captain's intensity and hunger remain unmatched even after all his achievements in the game.

Speaking on JioStar's Superstars, Krunal reflected on sharing a dressing room once again with Kohli during RCB's IPL 2026 title defence and revealed how closely he observes the batting superstar's preparation.

"I have learned a lot just by watching Virat Kohli, the way he prepares for a tournament and the intensity he brings to every practice session. I have played with him for India when he was captain, and I have also played against him. Now, I am lucky to share the same dressing room with him again," Krunal said on JioStar.

The RCB all-rounder added that Kohli's relentless desire to improve remains exactly the same despite years of success at the highest level.

"What I have realised is that his hunger is still unbelievable. Those eyes don't lie. The same intensity in every net session, the same hunger to improve. That is what makes him Virat," he added.

Krunal Pandya says Virat Kohli would dominate in any generation

Krunal also made a massive statement about Kohli's standing among cricket's all-time greats, saying the RCB batter's qualities would have translated across any era of the sport.

"I believe if he had played in any era, he would still be one of the greatest. And I feel there is still a lot left in Virat to give to the game," Krunal said.

The comments come during another strong IPL campaign for Kohli, who continues to anchor RCB's batting lineup while helping the franchise remain firmly in the playoff race.

Krunal Pandya explains challenge of bowling to Suryakumar Yadav

Apart from speaking about Kohli, Krunal also gave detailed insight into the challenge of bowling against Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav.

"Suryakumar Yadav is a clean striker of the ball and does not struggle for long periods. When he is at his best, it becomes a nightmare to bowl to him," Krunal admitted.

The left-arm spinner explained that his strategy against Surya revolves around restricting his scoring areas and forcing him away from his strengths.

"But I love taking on such challenges. My approach against him is to force him into areas where he feels less comfortable. Everyone knows Surya plays the sweep very well. He is also excellent at hitting inside out over the off side," he said.

"When a batter is so strong on both sides of the wicket, the margin for error becomes very small. As a bowler, you have to be extremely precise with your pace and variations and I like keeping the ball on a tight fourth-stump line when I bowl to him, not allowing him to use his feet or play the sweep."

Krunal Pandya still dreaming of India comeback

Despite already enjoying major IPL success and an established international career, Krunal admitted that his biggest dream still remains returning to the Indian team.

"Winning the IPL trophy and performing well in the tournament has been a great feeling. But every cricketer has a dream. Since childhood, my dream has always been to represent the country. That hasn't changed," Krunal said.

"Playing for India is the biggest blessing, honor, and achievement for me and donning the Blue Jersey once again is dream and it's still alive. I want to keep doing what I am doing and earn that privilege again. I am keeping my fingers crossed for that."