Royal Challengers Bengaluru coach Dinesh Karthik has described Krunal Pandya as a player the game will remember for a long time, crediting him with expanding what finger spin can look like.
Karthik’s verdict
Krunal has been among RCB’s best performers as they begin their title defence well. The Baroda all-rounder has shown tactical variety, including the unusual step of bowling short-pitched deliveries as a spinner, something rarely seen in orthodox finger spin.
Karthik said Krunal is bowling balls that would have been hard to imagine a few years back, and that he knows when to bring in his variations to plant doubt in the batter’s mind, which usually pays off. He added that the IPL is changing cricket and that Krunal is doing likewise for finger-spin bowling.
The numbers
Opportunities with the bat have been scarce this season because of RCB’s strong top and middle order. Even so, in the previous game against Gujarat Titans he walked in during a mini-collapse and hit an unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, helping RCB reach a target of 206 with seven balls to spare.
With the ball he has taken eight wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 9.20. That follows last year, when he claimed 17 wickets at a strike rate of 16.2.
