Why not Krunal Pandya? The all-rounder can follow in the footsteps of RCB teammate Bhuvi
As the debate over Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to the Indian team heated up, it sparked a familiar conversation among fans: which other veteran stars deserve another shot in the national colours?
Among the names that came up repeatedly was Mohammed Shami. After putting in the hard yards on the home circuit, the veteran pacer made a compelling case for consideration. However, his international future depends on India’s new selection committee, which will have to decide if he fits into their plans.
Recent selections suggest that the selectors are not afraid to make bold calls. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer returned to the home side and continued to make their presence felt in the IPL, earning their way back into India’s plans. Shreyas now leads a team that is building to defend the T20 World Cup title in 2028. Bhuvneshwar’s comeback, meanwhile, has shown that experience still counts and age doesn’t have to be a barrier.
That brings another name into the conversation: Krunal Pandya.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder has quietly built a solid case in the IPL. Even Sunil Gavaskar has endorsed the idea of selecting players on merit rather than age dictating selection, describing Krunal as one of the smartest cricketers in India today.
“He’s an outstanding cricketer and I believe if you want to win the World Cup, you just go with the guys you think will win the World Cup.”
“Don’t look at their age. That’s not the point. If they play in the IPL, they’re fit. If they play domestic cricket, they’re fit, and if they’ve played in that, you pick them in the India team. That’s how you should go about it,” Gavaskar said.
So the question is whether Krunal can turn his IPL performances into an Indian comeback. To assess his chances, we spoke to former India spinner Murali Karthik, who believes the 35-year-old should not be ruled out simply because of his age.
WHY NOT KRUNAL?
Krunal’s numbers offer a strong starting point for his case. In 158 IPL matches, he took 107 wickets at an economy rate of 7.57. But his recent performances suggest there’s more to his game than career numbers alone.
After a few decent seasons with Lucknow Super Giants, Krunal took on a bigger responsibility at RCB: leading the spin attack. He has responded with 31 wickets in 31 matches in the last two seasons, showing an ability to adapt his bowling to the demands of the format.
His development was particularly interesting. Krunal mixed faster bouncers to unsettle the batsmen with slower, flatter deliveries designed to deny them space and disrupt their rhythm. It’s an approach built around variation, control and the ability to stay one step ahead of the tee.
This tactical flexibility has helped him achieve an economy rate of 8.41 over the past two seasons of the IPL, as per the figures reported in this story. It was better than the corresponding numbers for established spinners like Varun Chakravarthy, Rashid Khan and Kuldeep Yadav.
More importantly for Kartik, Krunal’s age should not overshadow what he brings in the present.
“I’m quite confident in Krunal Pandhya and when it comes down to it, I’ve never been a believer in age. If somebody plays and somebody plays well, that’s all that matters,” Karthik said during a virtual interaction hosted by Sony Sports Network.
“Sometimes we end up making the mistake of looking too far ahead and forgetting the present. Even our scriptures stay in the present, but some of us seem to go too far ahead.”
“Our scripture says stay present. So it’s funny to me sometimes, but having said that, age is not a number. As and when, if Krunal Pandya is needed, he should be in the mix. Why not? He’s doing well. He was your man of the match last year when RCB won and more importantly,” said Kartik.
However, Krunal’s value goes beyond the wicket column. His ability to control the scoring rate and create pressure can be just as important in a format where batsmen are constantly looking to attack.
Although he had 14 goals in 16 games last season, his impact went beyond numbers. According to ESPNcricinfo’s bowling impact metric, Krunal is ranked 18th, underscoring the value of his contributions even though he hasn’t taken wickets regularly.
Kartik believes this ability to squeeze batsmen and force errors is often overlooked when teams assess a bowler’s effectiveness in T20 cricket.
“It always amazes me when people say you look for wickets. How do you look for wickets in T20? No slip, no gully, no short leg, no silly point.”
“So you get wickets by creating pressure. You get wickets by outsmarting the batsman, being slightly ahead of him and trying to do a lot of things that the game needs,” Kartik said.
FEISTY CROWNED
Krunal’s case is not built on bowling alone. He also brings intensity, competitiveness and the kind of all-rounder that can make the difference in high-pressure games.
He showed that he is willing to give his body for the team. During RCB’s win in Raipurhe battled cramps and took body shots as he fought to get his side over the line. His contribution with the bat was also significant. Last season, Krunal scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 145.80, hitting 20 fours and 11 sixes.
This combination of aggression, resilience and tactical awareness is part of what makes him an interesting choice for India.
“He is a very smart and fierce cricketer. When you are in the middle of cricket, you need that kind of fervor and he has it all. Again, like I said, age has never been a factor for me,” said Kartik.
AXAR PATEL BIGGEST ROADBLOCK?
If there is one obvious obstacle to Krunal’s Indian comeback, it is the presence of Axar Patel. The left-arm spinner has established himself as a key part of India’s set-up, offering control in the over, a regular wicket-taking threat and valuable runs lower down the order.
Axar’s recent comebacks make the competition even tougher. He has taken 31 wickets in 27 matches this year and continues to offer a kind of all-round balance to India in T20 cricket.
India also has other options to consider. Washington Sundar offers an off-spin option while Naman Dhir has been used as another potential off-spinning all-rounder. Krunal would therefore need to offer something that the existing combination can no longer provide.
Kartik pointed to Axar’s effectiveness with the new ball as one of the reasons why it would be difficult to replace him with a similar player.
“Axar is your left-arm all-rounder. He is a man who jumps in the overs. He has some of the best numbers in the overs in terms of economy as well as wicket-taking.”
“So how can we get rid of him and bring in someone else who is similar? And they were also looking for someone who could be versatile and Naman Dhir fit into that,” Kartik said.
That is the challenge Krunal faces. He competes not only with other spinners, but also with players who already fulfill specific roles in the Indian combination. His way back may depend on whether the selectors want an experienced all-rounder who can contribute with both bat and ball, rather than another specialist option.
Krunal has the experience, fitness and tactical ability to hold his own. Whether India needs what it has to offer is another question. But if the selection committee is willing to look beyond age and focus on current form, as Gavaskar has urged, the door may not close.
Like Bhuvneshwar, Krunal may yet find that a strong run of performances is all it takes to get back into the national conversation.
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