Fresh off back-to-back IPL titles with RCB and a fifth crown overall, Krunal Pandya, dressed in black trousers and an oversized graphic camp collar shirt, arrived as Guest Sports Editor for The Times Of India . After greeting reporters and photographers, he sat down for an hour-long chat. However, before starting the interview, he paused mid-step, spotted a Ganesha idol, slipped off his footwear and offered a quiet prayer before settling in. The composed, spiritual gesture contrasts with the bling he wears—hard-earned symbols of a journey shaped by struggle. From early days as a passport agent and car broker to mastering a high-scoring T20 era, Pandya sees cricket as a mirror of life—demanding resilience and reinvention. He spoke movingly about his late father Himanshu’s influence, the ragging he faces from his elder son, Kavir, aged four, the mental battles he has embraced, the hunger that still drives him and the hope for an India recall after five years.
EXCERPTS…Five-time IPL winners, two of those back-to-back (2019-2020 with MI, 2025-2026 with RCB). Has it sunk in yet?Feels amazing. And to do it five times is something very special. For me, I have always manifested trophies in my life. It’s nice when you do well individually and win games, but if you win a trophy and contribute to it, there is no better feeling. God has been really kind that I have been able to do it five times. But I feel like this is just the beginning.
Finger spin seemed to be a dying art, especially in this IPL where scores went through the roof. Yet you came through with an economy of 8.41…Cricket, especially batting, has evolved in the IPL. To have longevity and impact as a bowler, you have to evolve too. The focus has always been on how I can get better and add more value to my skill set. I have also realised that between the skill battle, there is also a mental battle. Cricket is a sport full of uncertainty. I have always focused on staying one step ahead mentally.Last year, I joined RCB for the first time. There was a huge motivation to win because the franchise had never won before, and personally, I hadn’t won a trophy in four or five years. This season, I knew opponents would be better prepared against me. So before the tournament, I focused on how I could stay one step ahead. That’s where the bouncers and slingers came into the picture. It wasn’t about being unique or funny. It was about breaking the norm that a leftarm spinner can’t bowl to a left-hander.
You last played for India five years ago. Since then, you’ve played for Lucknow and RCB. Talk us through that journey and how you’ve stayed motivated…There is no better feeling than playing for the country. When I was six or seven years old, there was no IPL. The biggest dream for any cricketer was to play for India. I dreamt about it my entire life and got that opportunity in 2018. In the 18 games I played, I did decently well. I won a Man of the Match in Australia and New Zealand and a Man of the Series in the West Indies. I had a good run with the Indian team. Later, when I got another opportunity in One-day cricket, I did pretty well again.I don’t think too much about selection now. Of course, I am human and there is disappointment at times. But, you have to remind yourself why you started playing cricket. I have immense love for the sport, and that’s what keeps me going.
I don’t think too much about selection now. Of course, I am human and there is disappointment at times. But, you have to remind yourself why you started playing cricket. I have immense love for the sport, and that’s what keeps me going.
Krunal Pandya
What is it about finals that gets the best out of you?I have always believed that preparation should be for the toughest situations. I know I can do well when things are easy, but what motivates me is performing when the stakes are high and things are going against me. I am a very reflective person, both in life and sport. A lot of that comes from my father. He was my role model. I watched how courageous he was and how he never gave up. That attitude has stayed with me.Describe that dismissal of Jos Buttler…When I bowled my third over in the final, Buttler went for a big shot but got an inside edge for a single. I then had six balls to think because I knew I would bowl the fourth over. I felt he would line me up in the next over because he hadn’t got hold of me yet. I was thinking whether to bowl a bouncer or a wide yorker. I wanted to keep him guessing. Eventually, I decided on the wide yorker. It worked. He stepped out, got beaten, and was stumped.Was the team also playing for the fans, especially considering what happened last year?One hundred per cent. It’s only been two years for me at RCB, but the amount of love I have received from fans everywhere has been incredible. Whether it was Guwahati, Raipur or Ahmedabad, people were supporting RCB. The fans are the heartbeat of this team.What happened last year was very unfortunate. This title was for those who lost their lives.Why is the RCB fan base so different?That’s a question I am also trying to figure out. The amount of love is overwhelming. I remember when I got picked by RCB two years ago, I was playing Ranji Trophy in Nashik and elderly people would come up and say, ‘ Beta , this time RCB should win.’ Then little kids would say the same thing. My son is four years old and understands everything. He is probably the No.1 RCB fan. He is obsessed with the team and the players.
How much does your son understand cricket?I’ll tell you a funny incident. In the final, I got Buttler’s wicket but scored only one run. After the game, when I picked him up, the first thing he asked was, ‘ Baba , why did you get out? Why did you play that shot?’ I told him we had won, but he still wanted an answer. He knows every player, watches highlights and loves all the RCB players. He has amazing memories already, spending time with Virat, Tim David and the others. He’s only four and already wants to play cricket. Let’s see.So he’s your biggest critic?There is no doubt about it. Sometimes I am genuinely scared of his questions. Against GT, I gave away 50 runs in four overs and he told me, ‘ Baba , I was watching the highlights. You were getting hit for fours and sixes. Why were you bowling like this?’T20 is often described as a young man’s game. Yet RCB’s core includes players like Virat, Hazlewood and yourself, all in their mid-30s. At the end of the day, it all comes down to fitness. I see myself playing for another five to seven years. If I am bowling bouncers now, my goal next year is to get them up to 125-130 kmph. Virat, Hazlewood and I are all in great shape mentally and physically. Experience is something that only comes with time. When you combine experience with fitness, that’s probably the best place to be.Speaking of fitness, how much does Virat motivate the group? Does he talk about it a lot?He leads by example. The hunger he still has to perform and win is inspiring. Sometimes people get satisfied after one or two successes, but then you see someone who has made excellence a habit. You can still see his love for the game. If that love and hunger remain constant, the sky is the limit.After 11 games this season, he had two ducks and people asked me whether we were worried. I told them I was excited. He had two back-to-back zeros and then went out and scored a match-winning hundred.Has he personally inspired you?One hundred per cent. I am also someone who plays aggressive cricket and loves winning. That doesn’t mean I am a graceful loser, but I love winning.Did you enjoy your duels with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was the headline act of this IPL?Oh, yeah. We played one game against RR in Guwahati. In fact, I got his wicket as well. But boy, what a talent! At 15! Generational talent. To bat like that at 15. Even if you are 30, 40, or 25, to bat like this is commendable. But 15? And he’s not just slogging. That boy has brains. Look at how he batted in Qualifier-2 vs GT. He played the situation.
RCB seemed so much calmer this year, compared to last year. What would you put that down to?I’ll give a lot of credit to the support staff. Last year, everyone was playing for the first time as they were coming from a different franchise. This year, there was a sense of calmness within the group because we had already spent one year, played 16 games, and there was a sense of assuredness. Everything seemed to be in control because we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and a lot of credit goes to Andy Flower, Mo Bobat, Dinesh Karthik Malolan, Omkar Salvi, Freddie. They gave the players a lot of role clarity. It’s important to imagine the IPL as a 10-year journey because it is such a long tournament. The memories of lifting trophies will fade with time. What will be remembered is the journey.Sachin Tendulkar recently proposed that the impact sub rule should be scrapped. You are an allrounder yourself. Do you think it hurts the development of allrounders?I have always played cricket as an 11 vs 11 game. If you scrap the impact player rule, the battle becomes even. The essence of the game goes away when you have the impact player on. The beauty of this game is that you play the situation. The tactical changes you need to make. Should I bring my main bowler on, or should I squeeze one over out of the part-timer? Sometimes, the low-scoring 130-140 games are the most exciting. Even this year, LSG vs KKR and MI vs RCB in Raipur were the most exciting matches. More all-rounders will come into the game with the impact rule scrapped.
How do you look at the data vs instinct debate? You are in a team that is data driven and match-up driven?For me, data is information, but at the end of the day, it’s a combination of following your instinct with data. My early days were in Mumbai. And over there, I learnt a lot in terms of how to prepare. I’ve continued doing that. For me, knowing strengths and weaknesses about batters before playing the game gives me greater chances of success. But still, you can’t just go by data. Data is information, and at a particular moment, you just follow your instinct about what is right then.We have known you as someone who’s a very emotional cricketer, who plays with a lot of pride, yet you also tend to perform very well under pressure. Is this something you’ve learned? Can this be taught?I actually wait and crave for situations where it is tough. I don’t know, I guess my way of playing cricket is actually what I’ve learned through my life. So, it’s a lot to do how, at a very young age, my… I’ll just go back to my growing up days. When I was 11-12 years old, I used to work with my dad. My dad was a passport advisor agent, so, at 12, I used to go with him. So, I experienced life through business with my dad, mom, at a very young age. And then I realized how tough life is. Sometimes our parents don’t tell us while we are growing up, and my parents were also like that. But I did that at 14-15, I used to be with my dad. I myself was a passport agent. I used to make ration cards for people.Then I used to be a car broker once upon a time. So, I’ve seen life at a very young age from very close quarters. So I guess when I play the sport, I play the same way. I don’t give up. And when the situation is tough, I’m like, ‘I have to win it’. I’ve always realized one thing. You play the sport the way you live your life. Because at the end of the day, you only have one brain, It’s not that in cricket you will use another brain and another brain for life.What was the most expensive or fanciest car you sold?We used to sell second-hand cars. It used to be 3-4 lakh rupees. You used to get a commission of Rs 3000, agent fee. I was a passport agent myself. I used to fill forms. I used to do affidavits. I used to do paperwork, everyone’s ration card, light bill, then two ID proofs, school leaving certificate, filling forms online, taking it, getting the Xerox copy, then getting the affidavit done, visiting Times of India office for name corrections via paper cuttings. Yeah, I have done a lot of things.
You and Hardik share a great bond, how often do you chat about cricket?Obviously, we have played together. We have always discussed cricket in terms of tactical, technical stuff which always helps. It has always been a good conversation, a very healthy conversation about cricket and how we can get better. And yeah, I mean, 10 trophies in the Pandya household is not a bad number to have. God’s been kind.You spoke of your dad a lot and the influence he had when you were growing up. Five years back, when you lost him, you were playing a game of cricket when the news came to you. How much did that change you as a person and the way you approach your cricket?No doubt about it. I mean, you can’t replace your parents, right, at the end of the day. And when I lost my dad, that hole will be there forever in my life. Generally, I don’t like to speak about it because I’m very emotional. Though in matches, I look very aggressive and very arrogant, but off field when something happens to me, I am like a baby, I cry a lot.I always tell people that I started playing cricket when I was six. Only after 2-3 years, I realized that I want to play for India. But my dad dreamt of it first. He wanted me to play cricket and then he moved from Surat to Baroda. He saw a lot of ups and downs in his life. But I never saw my dad crying or cribbing about anything. My dad was like, ‘We’ll figure it out’.
Coming back to the balance of the game, currently of course fans are really taking to these six-hitting frenzies, but speaking to the bowler in you, are you concerned that at some point, the appetite for these mega-run fests will diminish and that’s something the authorities need to be mindful of?I mean, some of the rules will change, so you will see a drastic change in terms of scoring as well. Everyone is very vocal about having that balance between bat and ball. So I guess if that is done, then again bowlers will come into play.Obviously now, for example, last year, this year, we had an impact player rule. Everyone knew that there are eight batters, gun batters. I guess sometimes, rather than dwelling too much on it, you know as a bowler that it’s not in your hand, this is what the reality is. So rather than talking about that, I looked at it like ‘this is the reality, how can I figure out? How can I now have an impact as a bowler?’ So it boils down to that also rather than dwelling too much into it.But, yeah, I guess once we change, if the impact player rule goes, there will be a massive shift in the scoring. Because right now, you have eight batters, proper. Now when the impact player rule goes, suddenly your seventh is an allrounder who has to bowl four overs.Suddenly in top 6, you need someone who can give you two overs. So the whole dynamics change. Now imagine right now if you are batting at number 4 or 5, you know there is a batter at 8. So your approach towards the game is very different. But if you are batting at 4, 5, and you know that number 7 is an allrounder and 6 is an allrounder, your approach changes. So I guess that rule will change the entire way of looking at the game.Are you hopeful of an India comeback or do you feel the selectors have moved beyond you?Yeah, hope is always there, right? I am hopeful that I’ll get the opportunity again to play for the country. Fingers crossed, but I am hopeful.In the top 10 wicket takers, there was only one spinner, Rashid Khan and even if you look at the economy rates, the only person in the top 10 was Sunil Narine. You were, in fact, one of the most successful spinners in the competition. Does this worry you that the Indian spinners didn’t really have much of an impact this time?I mean, there have been impactful performances by the spinners as well if you see. It’s just that you have to evolve, that is very important and it’s not a worry. I think we are going really well in terms of bowlers and in terms of allrounders. I don’t see any worry in that. But yeah, it is very important to evolve and get better.
