One move at a time, Krunal Pandya shows us why technique, not duel, matters more

New Delhi: If excluding pitches, conditions, dimensions and matches is an art, then Krunal Pandya It’s Picasso. In IPL 2026, as the imbalance between bat and ball continues to tilt heavily towards the former, the left-armer will manage to regain some normality whenever he holds the ball. With his unique skills and street-smart brain, Krunal is always one step ahead, one change at a time.Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have a problem with Krunal when the team was obsessed with duels, prioritizing game over skill. No problem for lefties. Form bottle opener, no problem. Death beyond? no problem. He has the ability to handle any situation and the ease with which he operates at different stages of the game speaks volumes about the level head he possesses. even when Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja Krunal continued to carry the heavy load for RCB due to his obsession with the game. intense pulsed light In 2026, even in the heartless Chinnaswamy.

While the SRH left-hander was singing, Aksa bowled Nitish Rana’s part-time spin. RR skipper Riyan Parag doesn’t seem to trust the experienced Jadeja, but Rajat Patidar is clearly backing Krunal. The RCB all-rounder bowled 25 balls in 7 games, while Jadeja took just 15 balls in 8 games and Axar took 23 balls in 7 games. Yes, Krunal’s finances are higher than those of the other two experienced finger-spinners, but it’s his ambition that helps him stand out.Take the away match against Rajasthan Royals, for example, where young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was on fire. Krunal not only got rid of the danger man, but also surprised newcomer Shimron Hetmyer with a well-coached bouncer – something he has done consistently and accurately this season. It’s not just a bodyguard. He mixed up his pace, used different release points, played around the popping crease and nailed the yorkers with the precision of a fast bowler.RCB batting coach and mentor on the eve of IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals Dinesh Karthik In his “final” days with the team, he reinvented the batting round, praising Krunal for “pushing the boundaries”.“He is a player who will be remembered in this game for a long time because he is doing things that have never been done before. He is pushing the boundaries of the finger-spin game,” Karthik told reporters on Sunday.

For Krunal, it’s not just about being different, it’s about being very smart about what he does. The bouncer bowled not to look cool – he grew his hair in braids for the purpose – but to “create doubts in the batsman’s mind”. Just like he did successfully against his current teammate Venkatesh Iyer, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders last season. The bouncer forced Lefty to ask for his helmet, and the next delivery found him dozing off and hitting the woodwork.“He bowls numbers that people really couldn’t understand a few years ago and he uses them very cleverly. He’s not a guy who does it just because it looks cool. He knows it does create doubts in the batsmen. He is a trendsetter. The IPL is changing the landscape of cricket and Krunal is changing the landscape of thumb-spin bowling,” Karthik added.Krunal last played for the national team in 2021 in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Since then, he has played for different IPL teams and continued to grind in the domestic circuit for his state, Baroda, but most importantly, he strives to stay one step ahead of the batsmen. In a chat with JioHotstar, the all-rounder expressed his strong desire to don the India jersey again and the 35-year-old need not look far for inspiration for his comeback. RCB’s mentor and Krunal’s biggest cheerleader is no stranger to comebacks.