Krunal Pandya Interview: ‘Nothing is bigger than playing for the country’ – RCB star clings to India dream | Cricket News –

BENGALURU: Nearly 15 years ago, on the wicket mat in Palig, a small town in Gujarat’s Bharuch district, a skinny young man learned the value of adaptation. Bowling with coated balls in local village tournaments, he soon realized that there would be little help for his spin and that survival depended on discipline, control and innovation.

Those early lessons in constantly reinventing himself continue to define Krunal Pandya even today, as he enters his 11th season in the Indian Premier League.Krunal, the eldest of the Pandya brothers, who has represented India in five ODIs and 19 T20Is, has emerged as a vital cog in defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s spin attack over the past two seasons. Krunal’s impressive spell of 2/17 in last year’s final earned him the Man of the Match award and underscored his value in pressure situations.

As RCB look to defend their crown, the 35-year-old left-arm pacer is also quietly fueling hopes of an India comeback, having last donned the national colors in July 2021.Years of hard work on and off the field, coupled with the highs and lows of professional cricket, have made Krunal more reflective and grounded. He is now one of the most experienced players in the league, and remains driven by the desire to improve and contribute.

In an exclusive interview with TOI, Krunal – who has played 152 matches in the Indian Premier League since his debut

Mumbai Indians

In 2016 – He spoke about his longevity, reinventing the game of bowling and his lifelong ambitions in India.Excerpts:It’s your 11th year in IPL. How do you see your development as a player?Progress is gratifying and frankly, when you start playing at the highest level, you want to play as long as possible. For me, what I’m most proud of is longevity.

I’m in my 11th season, which is a sign that I’m constantly getting better. As a player, I’ve always focused on trying to become the best version of myself.Over the years, there has been a lot of learning. I’ve seen extreme days in the last 10 years. It has made me more humble and given me more gratitude towards sports and life as well. The goal is to keep doing what I’m doing, which is getting better and winning games for my team.Is this where your desire to reinvent yourself comes from?Yes. Reinventing myself is part of the process. The good thing with me is that I’m not shy about trying new things. If I think something could suit me and give me an extra edge in the sport, I always try it.But it’s never about trying something flashy or doing something just to look cool. There is always a lot of logic and thinking behind the changes, implementation and outcome.I didn’t suddenly start bowling overnight.

There’s been a lot of practice behind it.

Given your commitment to RCB and Baroda, where does your ambition stand in India?It’s there, at the top of the table. There is nothing greater than playing for the country. The thought process about representing India never changes.Whatever opportunities I got to represent India, I did well. I’m a firm believer in focusing on what you have at hand, which is playing your sport to the best of your ability.What specific mechanical shift helped you go from a collapsed front leg to a stronger vertical support?It’s fitness. Sometimes we don’t highlight enough of the work that happens behind the scenes.

Ultimately, it is important to acknowledge what worked.For me, the fitter you are, the more things you can adapt to. Sometimes, as a cricketer or even as a person, you know what you want to improve, but your body may not allow it because you are not fit enough to adapt to new things.Trying to become the best version of myself has helped me develop new things in my game.Did the height of the new version help you generate more bounce and surface pressure?Yeah, obviously I’ve worked a lot on my bowling. When I rotate my left arm now, my movements are much longer than before.

I have shortened my stride to get more bounce because in IPL, it is difficult to spin from the wicket.So the question becomes: How do you fool hitters? I’ve been working on getting that extra bounce by staying tall. I realized that the best cricket I played in my career came when I followed my instincts.Can you explain how to make the short ball a wicket taking option?People have put a lot of emphasis on the short ball I’m throwing. The last couple of years, I’ve seen some stats where I’ve thrown as many guards as I can, which is weird.But I don’t focus on any particular delivery. My only focus is to stay one step ahead.

Given the limited batting opportunities you’ve had over the past few years, how have you worked on them?Over the last 3-4 years, I haven’t had many opportunities to bat in the Indian Premier League. However, the thought process remains the same. How can I improve? How can I improve? The last couple of years as a hitting unit, we’ve done incredibly well, so I have no complaints about not hitting. But yes, whenever the opportunity arises, I will give my 100% effort.Over 1800 runs and over 100 wickets in IPL, how satisfied is he with that in his journey? If I had to sum it up in one word, grateful. And for me, the icing on the cake are those four trophies (three with Mumbai Indians) that I had the opportunity to lift. You are not one to back down from challenges. Does this come naturally to you?Yes. I learned that from my father. They never back down from anything. The willpower to keep fighting and never give up comes very naturally to me because of them.