Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya has expressed optimism about making a return to the Indian cricket team despite being out of the national side for nearly five years. The 34-year-old last represented India in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo on July 25, 2021.
IPL 2026 Performance
Krunal played a pivotal role in RCB's successful title defense in IPL 2026, contributing significantly with both bat and ball. He scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 145.80 and picked up 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.41, helping RCB secure their second consecutive IPL title.
Since his last international appearance, Krunal has featured in the IPL for Lucknow Super Giants and RCB. Speaking to Times of India, he emphasized that representing India remains the ultimate achievement for any cricketer.
Love for the Game
"There is no better feeling than playing for the country. When I was six or seven years old, there was no IPL. The biggest dream for any cricketer was to play for India. I dreamt about it my entire life and got that opportunity in 2018," Krunal said.
He reflected on his international career, stating, "In the 18 games I played, I did decently well. I won a Man of the Match in Australia and New Zealand and a Man of the Series in the West Indies. I had a good run with the Indian team. Later, when I got another opportunity in One-day cricket, I did pretty well again."
While acknowledging the disappointment of being out of the national side, Krunal said he tries not to dwell on selection matters. "I don't think too much about selection now. Of course, I am human and there is disappointment at times. But you have to remind yourself why you started playing cricket. I have immense love for the sport, and that's what keeps me going."
Hope for Return
Asked whether he still believes he can return to the Indian team, Krunal made it clear that the hope remains alive. "Yeah, hope is always there, right? I am hopeful that I'll get the opportunity again to play for the country. Fingers crossed, but I am hopeful."
