IPL 2018: Why Krunal Pandya is Better than Hardik Pandya?
Jan 9, 2019 at 3:47 PM
The game of cricket witnessed several real-life brothers representing their respective nations, bringing laurels to their countries eventually.
There’s nothing more satisfying in the game of cricket than to see blood brothers featuring in the same team, providing entertainment to the spectators.
Be it the Waugh or the Chappell brothers, the Flowers from Zimbabwe, or our very own Pathan brothers from India, there is nothing better than the visual of two brothers, taking their team home through their contributions.
That said, one cannot help but compare one brother to the other in various aspects of the game.
For instance, Mark Waugh probably was one of the most elegant batsmen ever produced while his brother Steve was more renowned for his dogged effective ways of batting.
From the dugout of Mumbai Indians, another exciting story of brothers has been surfacing over the last few seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Yes, we are talking about the enigmatic Pandya brothers, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya, who might potentially feature for the Indian team in the future together.
While Hardik Pandya cemented his place in the Indian side in all three formats of the game, Krunal Pandya is still finding his way through the international team via India ‘A’.
However, one has a feeling that it is Hardik’s elder brother, Krunal who is a better prospect in the Indian team when it comes to the all-round department.
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Batting-wise
If we consider their batting credentials solely, there’s isn’t much to choose between them, as both explosive batsmen are destructive equally on a given day.
Given the absence of left-handers in the present Indian middle order, it is not a bad idea to give left-hander Krunal Pandya a go in the batting lineup.
Moreover, if we look at their styles of play when it comes to batting department, Hardik Pandya is more of a pinch-hitter, while Krunal Pandya is technically a correct batsman.
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Bowling-wise
When it comes to bowling, the elder brother is a more effective contributor in the shortest format of the game. Krunal gathered a reputation of bowling well in four overs, where he manages to pick up a few crucial wickets.
On the contrary, the mercurial Hardik Pandya developed a reputation for expensive bowling overs, spraying the ball all over the place. Also, the right arm pacer can be predictable with his short pitch bowling and threatens to go for plenty, if we put aside his performances off-late of Mumbai Indians.
The other aspect of comparison is the display of exaggerated aggression. While Hardik is known for his over the top celebration and unnecessary show of aggression, the Indian team could find a cooler head in Krunal.