Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder Krunal Pandya is making a strong case for a return to the national setup, leveraging his vast T20 experience and recent domestic success. The spin-bowling all-rounder, known for his fierce hitting as a finisher, was a key component of RCB's title-winning 2025 IPL campaign.
Pandya's standout moment came in the 2025 IPL final, where he was named Player of the Match for his tight and pressure-absorbing bowling performance. His consistent form has extended into the domestic circuit, where he impressed with both bat and ball for Baroda in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. At 34, Pandya's leadership qualities and ability to perform under extreme pressure make him a valuable asset, potentially offering a like-for-like replacement option for the injured Washington Sundar in India's T20 squad.
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“He played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their title-winning 2025 season, and was Player of the Match in the final, for his tight bowling under extreme pressure.”
Leading fifty makers scorers in IPL Career (batting specialists only: batters/all-rounders/wicketkeepers)
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The appointment comes after he made his return to the ODI team during the ongoing series against New Zealand. With Hyderabad still in contention in Elite Group D, the selectors have handed the captaincy responsibility to Siraj for the final phase of the tournament.
Virat Kohli converts starts. A score of 30 or 40 means he will stay till the end, win the match, and, if he gets into form, become consistent. That is why, in ODI cricket, Virat Kohli has always been ahead of Rohit Sharma.
"Everything's going to plan. We took a few extra weeks once we couldn't make the Test matches. I had a couple of bowls off the half-run last week. Running's going well, all the strength stuff's going well so, yeah, on track,”

“He played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their title-winning 2025 season, and was Player of the Match in the final, for his tight bowling under extreme pressure.”