Hardik Pandya lauds brother Krunal Pandya for match-winning performance in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Indian cricket team star Hardik Pandya praised his brother Krunal Pandya on social media after the Baroda skipper led his team to a win in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Krunal Pandya's all-round brilliance helped Baroda record a win against Uttarakhand on the tournament's opening day.

Krunal Pandya is the Baroda cricket team captain. In the first game against Uttarakhand, Pandya scored 76 runs off 42 deliveries and followed it up with figures of 2/33, as Baroda defeated Uttarakhand by five runs.

Hardik Pandya posted the following Instagram story to appreciate his brother's performance.

Hardik Pandya shared the clip of Krunal Pandya's heroics from the match between Baroda and Uttarakhand

As mentioned earlier, Krunal Pandya showcased his all-round talent in the fixture versus Uttarakhand.

The Uttarakhand bowlers had reduced Baroda to 41/3 in 7.3 overs. However, Pandya launched a counter-attack and smashed five fours and five sixes in his 42-ball knock to take Baroda to 168/7 in 20 overs.

In reply, Dikshanshu Negi's 77* led Uttarakhand's charge. Eventually, they could manage just 163/6, with Krunal Pandya dismissing the dangerous Karanveer Kaushal and wicket-keeper Saurabh Rawat.

Can Krunal Pandya return to the Indian cricket team?

During the Australian tour, Hardik Pandya had advocated for Krunal Pandya's inclusion in the Indian team as the Men in Blue needed another all-rounder.

Krunal has been away from the Indian cricket team for quite some time now. He was not able to cement his place in the T20I squad after receiving his maiden international cap in 2018.

Recently, Krunal was also involved in a heated argument with teammate Deepak Hooda that led to the latter's withdrawal from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

It will be interesting to see if Baroda can keep their winning momentum going in the tournament.

During the difficult times of this pandemic wherein mental health of a player is of utmost importance as they have to stay in a bio-bubble as well as keep themselves focused on the game, such incidents may have adverse effects on a player and should be avoided.#MentalHealth pic.twitter.com/n3V2kKeO4G

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 12, 2021