Krunal Pandya Redefining Finger Spin in IPL 2026, Says Karthik

Krunal's knack for being an innovative left-arm spinner has been on full display in IPL 2026 - by bowling a surprise bouncer, while switching between slinging deliveries and conventional arm ball, and varying his pace cleverly - to deceive the batters. Due to his ever-evolving skill sets, Pandya has picked up eight wickets from seven matches at an average of 28.75 and an economy rate of 9.20.

"Krunal Pandya is a player that this game is going to remember for a long time because he is doing something that has not been done before - pushing the boundaries of what a finger-spinner means. He is bowling deliveries that people really couldn't fathom a few years ago, and he is becoming a master at it.

"He is using it very cleverly, very wisely when the situation demands, and he is using that as a strength of his to put pressure back on the person that he is bowling against. It's actually quite interesting to see how he goes about it mentally as well. He is not someone who is just doing it because it looks cool.

"He knows that given the moment when he does want to use it, it does create a doubt in the batter, and a lot of the time it delivers the result that he wants out of that ball. So he is someone who is going to be a person remembered as a cricketer. One that is a trendsetter.

"Today, if you see a lot of spinners trying to bowl different deliveries, I think a lot of credit must go to Krunal Pandya. He is definitely evolving as an all-rounder with every passing day, be it with the ball or the bat, and that is so wonderful to see. As I said, IPL is changing the landscape of cricket and Krunal Pandya is changing the landscape of finger spin bowling," said Karthik in the pre-match press conference, ahead of RCB taking on Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.

Karthik heaped praise on RCB skipper Patidar's batting returns, with him amassing 238 runs at a high strike-rate of 210.61. "Rajat Patidar is a good example of someone who is constantly upping his standards, upping the quality of shots that he's playing.

"As relaxed and calm as he is, he's a very thoughtful man who goes back at the end of the season and looks at areas where he could get better and works on them through the season.

"We are in constant touch, and he sends me some videos as to what he's practicing, and he's always on the money, and you can see the output when he does bat because as we all know, he's batting in a very special manner and the way he's able to dominate bowlers right from the outset is a sight to watch," he added.

Talking about Patidar, the captain, Karthik, pointed out that being relaxed is his big strength, and he gets help from others like vice-captain Jitesh Sharma, Pandya, Virat Kohli, and others. "Obviously, the results will tell you that he's been very good. Off the field, he's the calmest, most relaxed person who absorbs information and puts it to good use in-game.

"His strength is the fact that he has the respect in the room, and he has a nice way of handling all his bowlers. He is not someone who is too confused and is very relaxed. He has a good lieutenant in Jitesh Sharma, who guides him in the game, and some extraordinary senior players in the likes of Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who are very, very senior and good pros who give him a helping hand whenever it's required.

"But overall, Rajat has been the man that you see on screen. Somebody who's very composed, who knows what he's doing, and when the pressure and heat rise in the game, he's able to hold his own and make decisions which we definitely look at and go, that's very good given the moment and given how the game is panning out, and that's all you can ask of him as a leader. As I said, he's the warmest guy. You meet him, and you realise he's as simple a person as you can meet, and that rubs off on the field as well."

On Jitesh Sharma's evolution as a keeper, Karthik credited him for working hard on improving his skill sets and catching efficiency. "He has taken some fabulous catches this tournament, and because of the work that he is putting in behind the scenes. He is very meticulous. He is constantly doing drills, which are slowly but steadily upping his game.

"Apart from his batting, I can definitely say he is a better keeper than what he was. A lot of credit must go to the fielding coach, Mr. Richard Halsall, who has put in a lot of work behind the scenes using simple methods, but ones that have been very effective. The good thing about them is how disciplined they are with their practice.

"Every net session you see, he will be there with them, practising for 20 minutes. They are constantly just doing that 1 percent to get better, and that is reflecting on the game because he is taking some special catches. He is obviously up against someone like Krunal Pandya, who is bowling difficult deliveries, and he is taking them quite nicely.

"So, I think a lot of credit must go to him personally as well for understanding who his bowlers are and how he needs to be in terms of what are the skills that he needs to improve as a keeper, be it moving laterally or obviously stretching his boundaries as a keeper, and it is wonderful to see him do that so far for RCB," he concluded.

- IANS