Video: Krunal Pandya does a Malinga against Royal Challengers Bangalore
Apr 20, 2016 at 10:52 PM
Mumbai Indians bowler Kunal Pandya, the elder brother of Hardik Pandya, today has bowled a slinger, a delivery Lasith Malinga excelled in. But it went for wide and four. However, he bowled a superb spell as he conceded only 27 runs in four overs and took two wickets. His two wickets haul helped Mumbai Indians to turn around the chance in the match. In the final he bowled the delivery, but it was an unsuccessful attempt.
Cricket is replete with stories of individuals taking their first small steps towards the big time by playing recreational games in their backyards. The case of Hardik Pandya and Krunal, an upcoming all-rounder, is no different. The brothers were drawn to the game because of their cricket fanatic father, Himanshu.
Such was Himanshu’s passion that he would take both his sons to the stadium in Vadodara whenever the cricket carnival rolled in. And then they played, as often as they could. As the younger sibling, Hardik did all the bowling to Krunal, which he says channelised the batsman in him. The brothers started training at Kiran More’s academy in the city, after which their careers have followed parallel paths.
While Hardik has gone on to make his first-class debut and become an India international, 24-year-old Krunal, who also bowls left-arm spin, is seen as a limited-overs specialist. Krunal’s auction signing at Rs 2 crore by the Mumbai Indians is astonishing considering he hasn’t played any representative cricket for over a year due to a labral tear in his shoulder that required surgery.
Krunal Pandya does a Malinga sans the result #MIvRCB #VIVOIPLhttps://t.co/VelT0DEpCi
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2016