Krunal Pandya thrives under pressure, eyes India comeback as Gavaskar lauds Kohli’s chase
Krunal Pandya spoke about handling pressure and his India comeback ambitions, while Sunil Gavaskar credited Virat Kohli’s match-winning chase and Gujarat Titans’ costly dropped catch. Devdutt Padikkal’s improved batting also drew praise for strengthening RCB’s line-up.
Hyderabad: RCB All-rounder and ‘Heavyweight’ Krunal Pandya said there was pressure (when he walked out to bat after RCB lost a couple of quick wickets in chasing the target) and obviously, it was the seventh or
eighth match and before this game that he played only two innings with the bat.
“Sometimes, when there’s no continuity, you can suddenly get into pressure situation. But I’ve been doing this role for a long time, from No. 3 to No. 8. So, whatever experience I have, I try to use it,
and I try to be as calm and present as possible in that situation,” Krunal said on a special show on JioHotstar.
On chances of an India comeback, Krunal said: “There’s nothing bigger than playing in the blue jersey once again. My goal has always been to play for India. But again, what do I have in my control? Consistent performances and how I win games for my team, that’s what I try to focus on.”
“I’ve always enjoyed pressure situations. I’ve learned a lot from my life in cricket, because you only have one brain and you use the same brain in life and in sports. So, I’ve always focused on how I can get better as a person, and that is the reason I’m able to play cricket this way,” he said.
On adding variations to his bowling, Krunal said: “The approach to batting has been evolving with every year. You feel like the batter can hit you anywhere. So, that innovation in my bowling came from a
place of, ‘how can I be one step ahead?’ It’s not that I didn’t do it before.”
“Why should fast bowlers have all the fun, right? I think spinners should too. Whatever is happening, it’s good, and people are trying to copy it. So, it’s good to set a trend. I felt that last year was very good for me, so coming into this season, I was thinking about what else I can add to my bowling. A lot of credit goes to our spin-bowling coach, who has left me free. He has backed me a lot and gave me
confidence. So, that also makes a difference,” Krunal explained.
JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar said that dropped catch of Virat Kohli off Siraj’s bowling definitely cost Gujarat Titans a lot. “We all know he is not just known as a king. He is known as a chase master as well. He loves these kinds of situations where he comes in to bat, knows the target, and can play according to the situation. You drop him on the first ball, then he will definitely make you pay” he said.
“That is exactly what he did. After that dropped catch, what a knock he has played. Chasing down huge totals with ease has been Virat’s trademark batting style throughout his career. GT must be thinking
about that dropped catch. At one point in the run chase, when the spinners were bowling, the ball was gripping a bit. It would not have been that easy once the ball got a little older. But this man is one
of the greatest in the game. He made it look easy,” Gavaskar said.
On Devdutt Padikkal’s batting, Gavaskar said it was an excellent innings. “Virat Kohli rightly pointed out after the match that Padikkal has been hitting some very clean cricketing shots. Earlier,
he was seen as an off-side player. His main scoring areas were cover and mid-off,” he said.
“Padikkal used to struggle on the on-side. But now he has overcome that limitation. He is hitting sixes and boundaries behind square as well. This adds to RCB’s batting strength. They have Devdutt at number
three and Captain Rajat Patidar at number four. Both can hit sixes from the first ball. That is making a big difference for RCB right now,” Gavaskar said.
