Sunil Gavaskar hails Krunal Pandya as fine batter and a clever bowler after RCB’s win against MI

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar showered praise on Krunal Pandya after Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a 12-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Monday. Gavaskar said Pandya is a fine batter and a clever bowler after his match-winning performance against his former team.

The left-arm orthodox spinner returned with figures of 4-45 in his quota of four overs and he was backed by RCB captain Rajat Patidar to bowl the last over when 18 runs were to be defended. Pandya conceded only six runs as RCB claimed their third win of the season.

Pandya accounted for Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, and Deepak Chahar in his fine spell. Gavaskar noted that Krunal has all the variations in his bowling and he knows when to use which delivery according to the match situation and opposition batter.

“I’ve always admired him for the sharpness with which he plays his cricket and in his thinking. He makes up with his temperament for any minor deficiencies he might have — and frankly, he doesn’t have too many,” Gavaskar said on JioHotstar while highlighting Krunal’s impact against MI.

“He’s a fine batter and a clever bowler. When he bowls, he actually reminds me of how Vinoo Mankad used to be. Mankad wasn’t a huge turner of the ball, but he had subtle variations — line and length, changes of pace, occasional bounce and even a high full toss kind of beamer. Krunal Pandya has that same kind of variety. No wonder the captain had the confidence to hand him the ball for the final over. That kind of trust speaks volumes,” he added.

Pandya has scalped seven wickets in four matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 19.14. RCB will next take on Delhi Capitals at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Thursday.