The shining prospect of Mumbai Indians’ and Hardik Pandya’s kinsfolk Krunal Pandya is hopeful of making it into the Indian team for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. The Baroda all-rounder was recently included in the Indian T20 squad for England series but he is yet to make his International debut.
Goal is to play for India
“My ultimate goal is to play for the country. To play for India in the World Cup and that is the next goal to be very honest,” Pandya told Mumbai Indians website in an interview.
The senior Pandya picked 12 wickets in 14 matches for Mumbai Indians in the IPL season 11 and he is allready a heavyweight in the domestic cricket.
“I am going tournament by tournament or you can say match by match and if I do well consistently, I’ll get what I want. So obviously at the end, the ultimate aim is to play the 2019 World Cup for India. I hope the way I am going, I will achieve that as well,” he said, before adding: “It is just the beginning, but the feeling was really good because from childhood you tend to dream to play for the country and suddenly when you get a call, it feels great.”
Sharing the dressing room with Hardik Pandya in the national call-up
“It was like a dream come true for both of us. In the first T20I when Hardik and I shared the dressing room for India, it was a great feeling. It is a good feeling to be with Hardik in the Indian team. We have played with each other for Mumbai Indians too, so it’s good to play with him rather than playing against him.”
Krunal Pandya’s chances
Axar Patel was a rising sphere before the 2015 world cup and he was eventually added to the world cup squad following his all-round abilities in the IPL and domestic cricket. Indian team led by MS Dhoni was looking for a quality bowling all-rounder at that time and Patel was the ideal pick. However the Kings XI Punjab player faded away with time alongside Ravindra Jadeja that has left a spot ideal in the team. If Virat Kohli and team management is looking for a spin bowling all-rounder, then the senior Pandya may be an ideal choice.
Who would forget the all-round abilities of Yuvraj Singh in 2011 World cup. Right ?
