The biggest turning point in my career was playing for Mumbai Indians, says Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya, the older of the Pandya brothers, has said that the biggest turning point in his career was being picked to play for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Pandya, who has been picked for the T20I side against West Indies, reckons that the added pressure of the IPL has helped him raise his game.
Team India are all set to move on from the heartbreak suffered at the World Cup semi-final, with a tour to the Caribbean. The two nations will kick start the tour with a three-match T20I series, starting on August 3 in Florida. With several key players rested for the shorter formats, relatively younger players at the national level have been given a chance. One of them is the senior Pandya brother, Krunal.
Krunal, who has been used in the T20 format since the Australia tour, reckons his career took a turn for the better when he was picked for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
"The biggest turning point in my career is to represent Mumbai Indians because that gave me a platform to showcase my abilities. The amount of pressure you are in when you are playing IPL is different," Krunal told bcci.tv.
Looking ahead to the T20I World Cup in Australia next season, Krunal knows well that he needs to be consistent, with bat and ball, to cement his place in the side. The all-rounder is looking up to the captain Virat Kohli to take a few lessons off his book.
"West Indies tour I am looking forward to it because there is a lot of cricket in future. Obviously, I want to perform consistently in both batting and bowling. I want to learn from Virat (Kohli) how to develop that hunger and be a consistent performer," Krunal said.
Coming in to bat in the middle order, with his exact position depending on the situation, Krunal also wishes to learn from the veteran MS Dhoni, who is at the twilight of his career.
“There is no big finisher in Indian and world cricket than Mahi bhai (Dhoni). He has been doing this day in and day out. His patience and the way he reads the situation are the qualities which I would like to learn from him,” Krunal said.
Krunal, who is already in West Indies with the India A squad, has already toured the likes of South Africa and New Zealand previously. These foreign experiences will give the 28-year-old an advantage when he tours the same countries with the senior team. This bodes well for both Krunal and the Men in Blue, as they look ahead to the T20 World Cup, and 2023 World Cup.