Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder Krunal Pandya recently opened up about his ambitions to make a comeback into the Indian team and his growth as a player in a decade-long career.
Krunal is currently making waves with his left-arm spin for RCB as they look to make the IPL playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven years. In 2025, RCB won the IPL title for the first time, breaking a drought of 18 years. Pandya was given the Player of the Match award in the final.
In his 11 years as an IPL player, Pandya is the only player to win the Player of the Match award in an IPL final twice. Apart from RCB in 2025, he was part of three other IPL title-winning teams with Mumbai Indians.
In an interview with Times of India, he talked about everything from his growth as a player to his ambitions of making a comeback in India.
“The thing I am proud of is longevity” – Krunal Pandya
Asked what he thinks about his growth as an IPL player during his 11 years, Pandya said he is grateful for it. He also said that he has always been trying to improve as a player.
“The growth feels very gratifying and honestly, when you start playing at the highest level, you want to play as long as possible. For me, the thing I’m proudest of is longevity. I’m in my 11th season, and that’s a sign that I’m continuing to get better. As a player, I’ve always focused on trying to be the best version of myself.”
He said, “There has been a lot to learn over the years. I have seen a lot of bad days in the last 10 years. It has made me more humble and also more grateful towards the game and life. The goal is to continue doing what I do best, which is to perform better for my team and win games.”
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“Reinventing yourself is part of the process” – Krunal Pandya
Krunal explained in detail about his desire to reinvent himself and the hard work that goes into it. He also said that there is a lot of thinking behind whatever he does.
“Yes, reinventing myself is part of the process. The good thing with me is that I don’t shy away from trying new things. If I feel something can work for me and give me that extra edge in the game, I always try it,” Krunal Pandya said.
“But it’s never about doing something flashy or just to look good. There’s always a lot of logic and thought behind the change, implementation and outcome.”
He further added, “I didn’t start bowling bouncers or slingers overnight. There’s a lot of practice behind it.”
“There is nothing greater than playing for the country” – Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya played 5 ODIs and 19 T20 matches for India between 2018 and 2021. But, he has not been called to the national team in any format since July 2021.
When Krunal was asked whether his Indian dream was still intact, he said yes. “It’s right there, at the top of the table. There’s nothing bigger than playing for the country. The thought process about representing India never changes.”
“Whatever opportunity I got to represent India, I did well. I strongly believe in focusing on what is in your hands, i.e. playing your best game.”
