Krunal Pandya : Performing in my second IPL season was always going to be tough

The Baroda all-rounder chipped in with a 38-ball 47 to give his side a fighting chance after the top-order failed in the final.

"Performing well in the second Indian Premier League (IPL) season is always tough for players as the opponents have already read you and they come hard at you. I am very satisfied with my performance and this was the best season for me," Krunal told the Times of India.

"I was out of action for a long time due to injury but I had a good outing for Baroda in Vijay Hazare Trophy this season. So I was confident of performing well in IPL," added Krunal, who was one of the emerging players of the 2015 edition, his debut season in the league.

Krunal, who picked 10 wickets and scored 243 runs this IPL, felt that the bowlers are getting smarter despite the format being batsman-friendly.

"The wickets were a bit slow during IPL this time but bowlers too have developed skills to bowl effectively in T20s. After all, it is the bowlers who help teams win matches," Krunal said.

On being the first sibling to play on the same team in an IPL final, Krunal, who is older to Hardik, said, "We used to discuss our games during IPL but it was not on a serious note. In fact, we both make fun of each other when we fail to get more runs or wickets, but it was done on a lighter note."

Krunal was elated that Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted a photo of him with the Pandya brothers.

"It was a dream come true when Amitabh Bachchan praised our performance. Sachin Tendulkar too appreciated my on-field attitude and shared his experiences with me. And I also managed to meet Shah Rukh Khan. These were the best two months of my life," said Krunal.

Did you know, Dhoni is the 1st player to score 1000 runs in T20Is without even scoring a career half-century.

Nostragamus

For more fun stats and predictions play the newest fantasy-cum-predictions game in the market – Nostragamus. Download the game by tapping here.