All-rounder of Royal Challengers Bangalore Krunal Pandya He said that despite being out of the national team for almost five years, he is hopeful of returning to India.Krunal, who played a key role in RCB’s successful IPL 2026 title defence, contributed both with bat and ball during the season. He scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 145.80 and took 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.41 as RCB won their second consecutive IPL title. The 34-year-old last represented India in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo on July 25, 2021. Since then, he has played for Lucknow Supergiants and RCB in the IPL.Speaking to Times of India, Krunal said that representing India is the biggest achievement for any cricketer.There is no better feeling than playing for the country. When I was six or seven, there was no IPL. The biggest dream of any cricketer was to play for India. I dreamed about it my whole life and in 2018 I got this opportunity. I played 18 games, I did well. I won man of the match in Australia and New Zealand and man of the series in West Indies. I played well with the Indian team. Later, when I got another chance in ODI cricket, I did well again.“Admitting that being out of the national team can be disappointing, Krunal said he tries not to focus too much on selection and instead reminds himself why he started playing cricket.“I don’t think much about selection right now. Of course I’m human and sometimes there are disappointments. But, you have to remind yourself why you started playing cricket. I love the game immensely, and that’s what keeps me going.”Asked if he still believes he can return to the Indian team, Krunel made it clear that hope lives on.“Yeah, there’s always hope, right? I hope I get a chance to play for the country again. Read the full interview Here
