NEW DELHI: If taking pitch, conditions, dimensions and match-ups out of the equation is an art, then it is Krunal Pandya Picasso is As the imbalance between bat and ball tilts heavily in favor of the former in IPL 2026, the left-hander has been able to restore some normalcy whenever he has the ball in hand. With his unique bag of tricks and street-smart mind, Krunel has been one step ahead, one change at a time.At a time when teams obsess over matchups, prioritizing them over skill, Royal Challengers Bengaluru don’t have that problem with Krunal. Left handed, no problem. In-form opener, no problem. Death overs? No problem. He is well-equipped to tackle any situation, and the ease with which he has worked through various phases of the game speaks volumes about his calm head. Even when Akshar Patel And Ravindra Jadeja Underbold by the frenzy of the matchup, Krunel continues to do the heavy lifting for RCB. IPL 2026, even on the inexorable Chinnaswamy.
Axar bowled Nitish Rana’s part-time off-spin when the SRH left-handers were on song. RR skipper Ryan Prag doesn’t seem to trust the veteran Jadeja, but Rajat Patidar clearly weighs in behind Krunal. The RCB all-rounder bowled 25 overs in 7 games, while Jadeja bowled just 15 balls in 8 and Aksar 23 balls in 7. Yes, Krunel’s economy is higher than the other two experienced finger-spinners, but his lion-heartedness has helped him stand out from the pack.For example, take the match against Rajasthan Royals when youngster Vibhu Suryavanshi was firing on all cylinders. Coronel not only got rid of the danger man but also surprised freshman Shimron Hetmire with a well-directed bouncer – something he has been doing consistently and accurately this season. It’s not just a bouncer. He mixes up his pace, uses different release points, plays around the popping crease and nails yorkers with the precision of a fast bowler.On the eve of their match against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026, RCB’s batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik — who reinvented the batting wheel during his “finishing” days with the franchise — praised Krunel for “pushing the boundaries.”“He is a player that the game will remember for a long time because he is doing something that has not been done before,” Karthik told reporters on Sunday.
The IPL is changing the landscape of cricket, and the landscape of coronal finger spin bowling.
RCB batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik
For Krunel, it’s not just about being different but being very smart at what he does. Bouncers are not bowled to look cool – there are peaks for that – but to “instill doubt in the batsman”. As he successfully did against his current teammate Venkatesh Iyer, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders last season. The bouncer forced the left-hander to ask for a helmet, and the next delivery caught him swooping and hitting the woodwork.“He’s bowling things that people couldn’t really understand a few years ago, and he’s using them very cleverly. He’s not someone who’s just doing it because it sounds cool. He knows it creates doubt in the batsman. He’s a trendsetter. IPL is changing the cricket landscape, and Cronel has changed the landscape of the bowling pin’s finger.”Krunel’s last appearance for the country was in 2021 when he played a T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Since then, he has played for various IPL franchises and grinded in the domestic circuit for his state, Baroda, but, most importantly, he tried to stay one step ahead of the batsmen. In a chat with JioHotstar, the all-rounder expressed his keen desire to don the Indian jersey again, and the 35-year-old doesn’t have to look far for a comeback. The RCB mentor, and the crown’s biggest cheerleader, is no stranger to comebacks.
