- May 3, 2025
Do you remember the moment when, as a team, you signed someone, and it just clicked for the fans as being synonymous with the phrase “wait…him”? That is almost exactly the reaction from teams after Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) signed Krunal Pandya during the IPL 2025 auction. Once, he played utility for RCB, but he didn’t seem to have the pop we had thought would show up. So, what happened? Let’s get to the bottom of how Krunal Pandya turned the season on its head.
The “Not-So-Glamorous” Spinner Who’s Getting It Done
Krunal Pandya was never meant to be that guy. He was always one of those guys, with that guy being the player who holds one end, bowls a tidy four overs, and maybe chips in with a helpful 25 at No. 6. But this season? He’s probably the only guy writing his own story. Krunal has already taken 13 wickets, his best in any IPL season, for a very short time at Chinnaswamy – sure, every ground is brutal for spinners, but Chinnaswamy is famous for being brutal.
Amazingly, he is doing this, not as a mystery spinner or a rapid pace bowler, but as a player who seems to get angles, pace variation, and game awareness. He is not just tying it down; he is getting breakthroughs, shifting momentum, and putting pressure on the batters. Aakash Chopra has said this about Krunal: whenever he picks one or two wickets, RCB wins. Not random, an impact.
In a season where big reputation spinners have been challenged with consistency, Krunal has been the steady voice through tight overs and pressure. And get this, he has even tossed in a surprise bouncer or two. Who saw that coming?!
Krunal’s Batting Revival: The Hidden Power in RCB’s Middle Order
Let’s not forget Krunal’s bat. I find myself glossing over Krunal’s contribution because he isn’t scoring 90 off 40 balls, but Krunal gives you wins quietly! Take his innings against Delhi for example. With the top order wobbling, Krunal came in and played a very difficult, composed innings to help RCB to a defendable total.
These are the moments you don’t always read about, but they can change seasons. A 30(18) cameo or a steadying 40-odd. Krunal is functioning as the proverbial middle-overs insurance policy. What separates Krunal from your standard all-rounder is his judgement of game tempo and then playing accordingly.
When Stats and Impact Finally Align
What’s most exhilarating about Krunal this season is that his stats are finally reflecting his value? We’ve seen players whose contributions don’t get recognized because they do the dirty work, but it is often difficult to quantify their contributions/impact. But with Krunal, the equation is getting easier and easier to follow: If Krunal gets a wicket → RCB wins.
And that’s not just a stats tweet—it can only be seen as an indicator of how involved he has been at the key moments of the game. He is not filling gaps, he becomes the player everyone is planning for. The player who comes to the crease when the other team doesn’t want him to, whether that’s in the 13th over or when they are looking to lift the tempo in the middle overs.
So, here’s a thought: is Krunal Pandya finally becoming the player we all thought he would become, OR is it just the next player in a long list that we figured we knew? It’s safe to say, if RCB has a deep run this year, Krunal’s name will be all over it.
Are we witnessing a redemption, or a finally blossoming superstar unwinding their legacy – you tell us in the comments below; RCB fans, this one’s for you.
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