IPL 2017: I feel I am an all-rounder and need to contribute, says Krunal Pandya

What’s the story?

Krunal Pandya, the older of the Pandya brothers, has been one of the key players for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2017. Pandya, who is in the team as an all-rounder, feels that it is important for him to make contributions with both bat and ball.

In the previous game against the Gujarat Lions, he helped his side to restrict the opponents to an average score of 153 by picking up 3 wickets.

In the post-match press conference, he spoke about what he needs to do on the field, “I feel I’m an all-rounder and need to contribute with the bat, ball and in the field. I need to think as a batsman while batting and as a bowler while bowling. It wasn’t an easy wicket, you couldn’t simply go and start playing your shots straightaway. I see what I can control and I think about a particular situation and how to handle it - whether bowling or batting.”

In case you didn’t know...

The Mumbai Indians franchise bought Krunal for Rs. 2 crores last year and he has repaid the faith that MI had in him by performing consistently. The all-rounder from Baroda is capable of clearing the fence, just like his brother, and forms a strong foundation in the lower-order of the Mumbai Indians batting line-up.

He finished IPL season 9 with 237 runs and picked up 6 wickets in the 12 matches that he played. In the current season, his numbers have improved considerably – 10 wickets with the ball and scored 136 runs in 9 matches.

The heart of the matter

In the match against the Gujarat Lions, the Mumbai Indians had to chase down a target of 154 in an away game. The target which seemed gettable for the visitors proved to be a tricky one. The wickets kept tumbling and the onus was on the older Pandya to take Mumbai over the line and he did exactly that.

He added a very valuable 29 runs on the board and made sure his team still had a shot at victory. Aside from the brilliant batting, he also helped to restrict the Lions to 154 runs by conceding only 14 runs in the first innings. In the super-over, his teammate Bumrah helped the team bag two more points with his excellent over.

What’s next?

Mumbai Indians defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore at Wankhede Stadium last night in what was another close encounter. The Rohit Sharma-led team sit comfortably at the top of the table with eight wins from ten games.

They play Delhi Daredevils next on 6th May in Feroz Shah Kotla.

Author’s Take

The Mumbai Indians-Gujarat Lions game was one of the most exciting games so far for the viewers. Mumbai Indians have time and again showed that they are a very well-balanced team in this year’s IPL.

Extra Cover: IPL 2017: Krunal Pandya claims AB de Villiers for the fourth time; sends him back with a cheeky gesture

With superb depth and quality in batting, bowling and fielding, they surely seem like a contender for the title this season.

Krunal Pandya has been one of their heroes this season and it won’t be wrong to say that he has a shot at a spot in the Indian cricket team in the near future.