Star player from Virat Kohli’s RCB! Krunal Pandya opens up on surprise bouncers leave batters guessing, says…

Krunal Pandya, the spin bowling all-rounder for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, says he never pre-plan his bouncers. Instead, he relies on his gut feeling in the moment to stay one step ahead of the batters.

Krunal produced a solid spell of 4-0-26-1 as RCB defeated Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in their Indian Premier League clash here on Sunday. In reply to RCB’s monumental 240 for four, Mumbai Indians could manage 222 for five.

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“I have never shied away from trying different and new things because with the Impact Player rule, previously, you had No. 6 or 7 as all-rounders and batsmanship was quite different. But now there are pure batters (coming in) at No. 8,” Krunal told reporters after the match.

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“… and plus the skill sets, young boys like Mukul (Choudhary) and Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) are hitting from ball one consistently. As a bowler, I want to be one step ahead with the skillset and mental part as well.

“I am glad that it is coming out well and hope that in this format, there are finger spinners who survive and who can take something out of it and do well. Because for (a) finger spinner with having flat tracks and eight batters, it has become very difficult,” Krunal added.

Krunal follows gut feeling for bouncers

Krunal said he does not prepare too much with his surprise short quick ball one that batters tend to leave alone and there is no specific plan to use them as well.

“I am someone who follows my gut. I don’t pre-plan that I want to bowl the fourth or fifth or sixth ball (as a) bouncer. There are days where I will bowl two bouncers back to back and suddenly I will bowl first ball and the sixth ball,” he said.

“But yeah, it is more sort of gut feeling when to bowl which ball and I just commit 100 per cent to that. People tend to speak a lot about my bouncers and the balls which looks quite different and funny.

“… but I have always worked on the basics of my bowling and if you see I am tall and I have been able to get that bounce, I have (also) been able to get batsmen out with spin and deceiving in the flight,” he added.

Krunal update on Virat Kohli fitness

Krunal said Virat Kohli should be “fine” after the batting superstar did not take field in the second half of the game owing to an ankle-related trouble.

“I have not spoken to the physio yet but I think he will be fine. I guess (there is) nothing to worry,” Krunal said.

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