Krunal Pandya (L) and Virat Kohli© AFP
Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya said that he has learnt a lot by watching Virat Kohli-both as a teammate and as an opponent. Krunal pointed out that the intensity in Kohli’s eyes has remained the same over the years and that the star batter’s preparation for every tournament is something the all-rounder has gained a lot from. Although Kohli was dismissed for ducks in his last two matches, he has already scored 379 runs this season at a strike rate of 163.36. Krunal, who was the match-winner in the previous game against Mumbai Indians, revealed that Kohli still possesses that same ‘hunger to improve.’
“I have learned a lot just by watching Virat Kohli, the way he prepares for a tournament and the intensity he brings to every practice session. I have played with him for India when he was captain, and I have also played against him,” Krunal said on JioStar’s Superstars.
“Now, I am lucky to share the same dressing room with him again. What I have realized is that his hunger is still unbelievable. Those eyes don’t lie. The same intensity in every net session, the same hunger to improve,” he added.
Krunal Pandya also credited mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s improved batting approach. This followed Krunal’s gritty knock against Mumbai Indians, which kept RCB in the hunt and knocked the five-time champions out of the IPL playoffs race. Battling severe cramps and batting virtually on one leg, Krunal smashed an unbeaten 73 off 46 balls in a tense chase that RCB sealed on the final delivery.
Krunal noted that Karthik’s behind-the-scenes work with the batters over the last two seasons has played a major role in shaping the side’s performances.
“If you look at last year and even this year, despite the ups and downs, a lot of credit goes to DK,” Krunal said at the post-match press conference on Sunday. “He has spent a lot of individual time with each player, understanding their strengths and weaknesses and working on them. He’s always there for the batters. So yes, there’s no doubt a lot of credit goes to DK for how we’ve batted as a unit.”
(With PTI inputs)
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