With his younger brother Hardik not bowling in this IPL, Krunal has shouldered the responsibility of being the leading all-rounder for Mumbai Indians
Krunal Pandya during MI's practice session at UAE recently
Contributions from players like Krunal Pandya at times go unnoticed in the face of some towering performances in the IPL.
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Though Mumbai Indians pacer Trent Boult was declared Man-of-the-Match for his 2-28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on October 4, Pandya made valuable contributions with bat and ball. His four-ball 20 not out helped Mumbai Indians post 208-5 against SRH. Then, on a small Sharjah ground, he finished with 1-35 despite bowling in the Powerplay.
With his younger brother Hardik not bowling in this IPL, Krunal has shouldered the responsibility of being the leading all-rounder for Mumbai Indians.
Pandya may not be among the top performers in the IPL, but he is soon establishing himself as a fine utility player.
Talking to a select media group ahead of Mumbai Indians' clash against Kings XI Punjab, Pandya said: "At the end of the day, I have never thought about it as an individual. I have always believed in keeping the team first, be it India, Mumbai Indians or Baroda. Sometimes, if the required run-rate is 15, and you bowl a six-run over, that is as good as a four-wicket haul."
Pandya relishes the challenge to bail the team out from tough situations. "It is a thankless job but I love those tough situations and I wait for those as a player, go out there and bail the team out from those tough situations and win games for the team.
"This year we have been doing really well and the top-order has done well, so I haven't really batted. But the little I have, I have tried to create an impact," he said.
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