Krunal Pandya needs to be considered for T20Is again. Image Credits: AFP
India were reportedly considering Krunal Pandya as a backup for Axar Patel in T20Is. Yet when the squad for the upcoming Afghanistan series was announced, Krunal was nowhere to be seen.
The omission is intriguing, particularly after Axar Patel endured an underwhelming series against Ireland and England with the ball. India struggled to find control through the middle overs at times.
Krunal may not have been selected, but his recent development makes the decision worth examining. Over the last couple of IPL seasons, he has evolved into a far more complete T20 cricketer, one who could potentially address some of India's current concerns with both bat and ball.
Krunal Pandya’s bowling smarts
Krunal Pandya by ball types in IPL since 2025
Krunal Pandya has been among the best spinners in the last couple of IPL seasons, even when the surfaces have offered little assistance to slow bowlers. Since 2025, he has taken 31 wickets, the second-most among all spinners, at an average of 25.93 and a strike rate of 18.67 in 30 innings.
Notably, Krunal has conceded only 8.33 runs per over, the third-best economy rate among Indian spinners with at least 20 overs. Only Varun Chakaravarthy (8.16) and Axar Patel (8.30) have been more economical, although the difference is marginal. Krunal has established himself as one of India’s most effective spinners.
Alongside a reliable stock ball, he also possesses a quality quicker delivery that has brought him considerable success over the last couple of years. He has taken 14 wickets with the delivery at an average of 22.86, while conceding only 8.21 runs per over. It has also generated significantly more false shots, with a false-shot percentage of 33.33%, compared to 26.25% with his traditional stock delivery.
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Importantly, Krunal does not allow batters to settle against his quicker balls, frequently varying his lengths to remain both frugal and effective. Around 38.37% of these deliveries have been in the 6-8 metre range, going for just 7.55 runs per over and bringing him three wickets.
Another 22.86% have been fuller, between 4 and 6 metres, and have cost him 8.62 runs per over while producing two wickets. Meanwhile, 20.82% have been shorter than 10 metres, going for 8.74 runs per over and yielding four wickets.
The pace variation
Krunal Pandya varies his pace more than any other spinner in IPL since 2025
Krunal Pandya has turned his quicker balls into a genuine weapon through his ability to vary his pace considerably, complementing the obvious variation in his lengths. No other spinner varies his speeds as much as Krunal.
Since 2025, his release speed fluctuates by an average of nearly 10 km/h from delivery to delivery - almost 50% more variation than a typical IPL spinner - making him one of the hardest bowlers to read purely off his pace. He has clocked speeds as high as 124.86 km/h and as low as 69.58 km/h.
His median speed of 98.93 km/h is the second-highest among spinners with at least 25 overs, behind only Maheesh Theekshana (103 km/h). Around 39.72% of Krunal’s deliveries have been between 90 and 100 km/h, and they have collectively gone for just 7.15 runs per over while generating 29.13% false shots.
Another 44.04% of his balls have been above 100 km/h, from which he has taken 17 wickets at an average of 22.41. He has also conceded a reasonable 8.96 runs per over while generating 30.98% false shots with these deliveries.
Krunal is also unafraid to use yorkers and short balls at high pace. That versatility is one reason RCB have trusted him to bowl in the slog overs occasionally.
At a time when spinners’ role is diminishing amid increasingly flat pitches across venues, Krunal has reinvented himself as an attacking option. Once primarily a solid defensive spinner, he has now added enough tools to become a genuine wicket-taking threat.
The pace-hitting value of Krunal Pandya
Not just as a bowler, Krunal Pandya has also made significant strides as a batter over the last couple of years. His pace game, in particular, has been highly impressive. Since 2025, he has struck at 144.29 against fast bowlers in the IPL, with a balls-per-boundary ratio of 5.18.
He has also developed the game to counter shorter deliveries effectively. Against balls shorter than 10 metres, Krunal has a strike rate of 145.45 and hits a boundary every 4.88 deliveries. His pull shot has been particularly productive, accounting for 27.22% of his total runs at a strike rate of 171.88.
Krunal Pandya has shown enough value as a batter in IPL since 2025
Medium to high pace has not troubled him much in recent times either. Against deliveries above 135 km/h, Krunal has struck at 164.62, finding a boundary every 4.06 balls.
So, he can handle hard lengths at high pace without compromising the scoring rate. That’s the most important need from a finisher in white-ball cricket. RCB have occasionally used him as a floater, but Krunal can also provide genuine pace-hitting ability in the lower order.
His batting obviously needs to improve more, and his challenges will increase on non-flat decks and bigger square boundaries. But his recent numbers point towards a clear increase in his value as a batter, something he can build on further.
Why Krunal Pandya’s Omission Is Intriguing
India’s spin stocks are at a low point at the moment. Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav have not posed the same threat in recent times, while the former has also struggled with injuries.
Axar Patel has often found himself running out of options, while Washington Sundar does not add enough value to the current T20I setup. Ravi Bishnoi, meanwhile, is far from an ideal option in his current form and with his present skill set. Beyond them, the other options are still largely underdeveloped.
In that scenario, Krunal Pandya would have been the most ready-made option available to India. Yet, despite his recent improvements, he was overlooked when India announced their squad for the Afghanistan series.
More importantly, he possesses the attributes to succeed in Australia, where the next T20 World Cup will be played. Krunal bowls with a flatter trajectory, making it difficult for batters to get underneath the ball, while the larger boundaries in Australia could further amplify his effectiveness.
He also has several other tricks up his sleeve, including his round-arm release and ability to constantly alter his lines. He is as difficult to predict as they come. On pitches offering some additional bounce, Krunal could be particularly effective once the field is spread and batters are forced to take greater risks.
His batting adds another dimension to the argument. India need a reliable pace-hitter in the lower order.
Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube have obvious issues against hard lengths, while Axar’s pace game has also regressed in recent times. On the bouncier Australian pitches, those vulnerabilities could become even more pronounced.
Krunal, therefore, could provide India with a useful cushion in the lower order following his improved returns against pace. Few all-rounders in the current Indian setup offer the same combination of spin and pace-hitting ability. He also has prior experience of these conditions, having played a T20I series in Australia in 2018.
Krunal Pandya has proved his mettle in some of the most difficult bowling conditions and against some of the best batters in world cricket. He has the skill set to sustain his effectiveness over a longer period and brings ample experience, despite not having represented India for more than five years.
His recent improvements with both bat and ball align remarkably well with two of India’s biggest concerns in T20Is at the moment. There is still plenty of time before the next T20 World Cup, and Krunal should remain in contention for a return to the side.
For years, Hardik Pandya has been hailed as a commodity that India scarcely have. It is due to the gap that Hardik has been able to fill in white-ball cricket. However, Krunal's renesaaince is no less.
His bowling smarts coupled with batting exploits make him stand out among the plethora of left-arm spin all-rounders in India. Krunal's niche may not be scarce, but his value is second to none and if someone has a second thought, Go Ask RCB!
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