3 reasons why Krunal Pandya could be RCB's most important player in IPL 2025

All-rounder Krunal Pandya had a memorable debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025. He played a crucial role in their victory against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening match of the tournament.

On his RCB debut, Krunal Pandya returned with impressive figures of 3/29 from his four overs. He also won the 'Player of the Match' award for his brilliant effort with the ball.

Krunal was acquired by RCB for ₹5.75 crore at the mega auction after he was released by his former franchise Lucknow Super Giants. The all-rounder repaid the faith right-away with his match-winning performance with the ball for RCB.

Overall, the 33-year-old has scored 1,647 runs from 128 matches in the IPL at a strike-rate of 132.82. He has also picked up 79 wickets with an economy rate of 7.36. The all-rounder could well prove to be RCB's most important player in IPL 2025, and here are three reasons why.

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#3 Krunal Pandya provides depth in batting, can be used as a floater

While Krunal Pandya did not get an opportunity to bat in the first game of IPL 2025 for RCB, he is certainly a handy batter and adds to the depth of the batting order. He can walk in to bat at the back end and deliver some lusty blows.

Krunal's presence as an all-rounder gives the team the required balance with the option of an additional batter as well. He has scored over 1,600 runs in the IPL and 2,845 runs from 208 T20 matches overall.

However, a crucial aspect which makes Krunal potentially the most important player for RCB in IPL 2025 is that he can be used as a floater in the batting order. The left-hander has the ability to bat anywhere from No. 3 to No. 7 as per the demands of the situation. This is surely a huge plus for a team like RCB.

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#2 Ability to take wickets in middle overs

2025 IPL - Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Source: Getty

Krunal Pandya displayed his ability to pick up crucial wickets in the middle overs in the opening game against KKR. He first gave RCB a vital breakthrough in the form of Ajinkya Rahane's wicket in the 11th over.

It was from that stage that they began to crawl their way back into the contest and dominate the game. He returned in the 13th over to deliver another crucial blow with Venkatesh Iyer's wicket before dismissing the dangerous Rinku Singh cheaply in the 15th over.

Taking wickets in the middle overs is crucial for any team in the T20 format. Krunal often operates in this period and has the ability to deliver those crucial blows with the ball for RCB.

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#1 Economical and smart bowling at the Chinnaswamy Stadium

Bowling at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB's home ground, has never been an easy task given the short boundaries and high altitude. To operate successfully at the venue, a bowler must possess discipline and intelligence. Krunal Pandya has both.

Throughout his IPL career, he has been an economical bowler (economy of 7.36). While he may not be a big turner of the ball, he is a smart operator as he varies his lengths and pace, like he did in the game against KKR in Kolkata. His 'street-smart' thinking as a bowler and ability to deliver under pressure could make him RCB's biggest asset in IPL 2025.