IPL 2017: 5 unexpected performers in the first two weeks

#3 Krunal Pandya

The older Pandya has been useful with the bat and ball

A handy left-handed all-rounder is a sight to behold in any form of cricket and the older Pandya, from Gujarat, a state who have contributed a great deal to the Indian team lately, is the latest sensation from its stables.

Mumbai Indians have always thrown up these rare talents like Bumrah and young Hardik, and the key lies in the management’s faith to give these new found talents the responsibility in vulnerable situations, in a pressure cooker like atmosphere.

It fast tracks their growth, and high-octane occasions like the IPL makes or mars a young player. It is to Krunal Pandya's credit that he is not unfazed in expressing his natural talent with the bat or the ball.

His ability as an uncanny performer for two years in a row so far puts into perspective his quick uptakes. To own up his position in a sea of stars and giants, without being swarmed and lost, is a sign of a cool and individualistic mind.

He comes across as a player sure of his abilities and in a race with his own self, as evidenced by the differing positions he has been assigned, both as a batsman and an accurate bowler who pings it with an alert game sense.

He is also an athletic fielder with a stinging throwing arm. A handy work-in-progress and in a Mumbai factory with shining finished products, he boasts of ample raw material to emerge as ‘a soon to be finished product’.

The day is not far off when he is bound to don the national colours, and in these times of frenetic schedules, one expects him to settle and switch it on at the highest level too.