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Krunal Pandya: Things would've been different if I hadn't torn up the speed post letter

By Mumbai Indians

"Krunal Pandya has been one of the biggest success stories for Mumbai Indians. From being called up to the MI squad in 2016 to winning the Man of the Match in the all-important 2017 IPL final and going on to represent the nation, things have taken a sharp turn for the Baroda all-rounder."

The 29-year old cricketer spoke to Cricbuzz in an exclusive interview where he reminisced his cricketing journey alongside his dad. There have been several ups and downs for Krunal over the years as he looks back.

Here are some of the excerpts from the interview:

There was a little passage in our old house where I’d bowl to him

Chasing a dream and actually going on to live it are two completely different aspects. Hard to find someone as proud as Himanshu Pandya with both his kids playing cricket at the highest level. He recalled how it all began when Krunal was just six years of age and played cricket with him in their house.

"He was just 6. There was a little passage in our old house, where I'd bowl to him, and his strokeplay was just so natural. That was the first time I thought that he could become a great player."

"We continued to practice at a gymkhana in Surat, where Mr. Kiran More's manager spotted Krunal batting. He took me aside and asked me, 'Can he move to Baroda?'. In a couple of weeks, we got him admitted to Kiran More Academy in Baroda, and that's where the journey began."

Krunal mentioned how his father took interest in getting involved in his son's cricketing career from quite an early age.

"By the time I was 13, he was fully involved with my cricket. We traveled to the ground on the bike, along with my bat and a kitbag, from Baroda to Nadiad to play cricket."

Hardik and I are here today because of my parents' support

Krunal Pandya made his Ranji debut at the age of 25. The all-rounder admitted that he got restless and had self doubts after failing to make it to the squad before that. Pandya recounted how things took a toll on him after an under-25 game.

"We were playing an Under-25 game for Baroda against Karnataka, and on the final day, we had to save the game. On the second ball, I played a sweep shot, got out and subsequently got dropped. After I went home, I cried. It suddenly dawned upon me that I had failed my parents.”

Krunal didn't mince words explaining how he decided to change his attitude in life, which eventually reflected in his performance on the cricketing field. He also credited his parents for all the success his brother Hardik and him have achieved eventually.

"I had a moment of self-reflection and decided to cast out all the jealousy and toxicity out of my life. It was when my thought process towards life changed that things started falling into place. There was no pressure from my parents, and it's because of my parents' support that Hardik and I are where we are today."

Until Ranji Trophy level, we never had a bat

Till the time both the brothers finally made on their own, it was tough financially. Krunal narrated how bats were a precious commodity for them.

"Bats were expensive. A good English willow bat would cost around 7000-8000 rupees. Until the Ranji Trophy level, we never had a bat. Irfan Pathan had given Hardik a bat, and I had a bat. We were playing against Mumbai, and Hardik's only bat had broken. Hardik used to bat at 3 back then, and I batted lower down."

With both brothers sharing a single bat between them, Krunal narrated an incident during a domestic game where he walked in with a teammate's bat with Hardik using his willow.

"For our last match, Hardik took my bat and he was still in when it was my turn, I requested a teammate, embarrassed, for a spare bat and joined Hardik at the crease. Until the Ranji trophy, bats were a precious commodity."

A government job or another shot at cricket?

A government job is a dream for any middle-class family in India. At a time when Krunal had dedicated himself to cricket, he was offered a speed post job. He decided to tear the offer letter and opted to go for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy trials. As luck would have been, it turned out to be a game-changer for him with former Mumbai Indians coach John Wright scouting them.

"I worked hard for two and a half years, not for the government job. I worked for cricket. So I tore up the letter. It so happened that I performed in the trial games, and managed to make it to the Baroda team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. And coincidentally John Wright scouted us (Krunal and Hardik) in Mumbai and that was our ticket to the Mumbai Indians."

Making debut for Mumbai Indians was an emotional moment

The Indian Premier League has provided the youngsters with a wonderful platform to prove their potential. Over the years, there have been a bunch of talented players who have benefited from the league. The all-rounder was snapped by the Mumbai Indians for Rs 2 crores  at the IPL Auction for the 2016 edition. Krunal described how it was an emotional moment as he went on to make his IPL debut.

"I had gone to Mumbai to see a doctor for my shoulder injury, and Hardik asked me to come down to the stadium and watch the match. That was the only game I watched in the stadium, and the following year I debuted for the Mumbai Indians on the same ground a year later against Gujarat Lions. That was quite an emotional moment for me."

The all-rounder did well scoring 20 not out from 11 balls followed by figures of 1/20 in his four-over spell. His first wicket in the IPL was wicket keeper Dinesh Karthik who tried to sweep it across only to find the fielder at long leg.

The feeling after getting the Indian cap was surreal

After years of hard work, Krunal Pandya finally earned his maiden Indian cap. Playing under skipper Rohit Sharma, he fulfilled his lifelong dream and made a good first impression with exceptional bowling figures of 1/15 followed up by a quickfire cameo of 21* (9).

"Since I was six years old, I dreamt of representing India, and finally when you get the cap, that feeling is surreal. And the first thing I thought of was the incident behind closed doors with myself after the Under-25 game against Karnataka which was a pivotal moment for me. In fact, every so often, I have the realization that life has changed so drastically for us."

Hard work always pays off and Krunal’s persistence towards his dream to play cricket is what helped him achieve success.

"I still think that if I hadn't torn up that speed post letter, things could have been very different."