Krunal Pandya in line for Team India return: Report
What's the story
Krunal Pandya is in line for a return to the Indian cricket team, according to Times of India. The left-arm spinner could replace Axar Patel in the T20I squad. The latter had mediocre returns against England and Ireland. The development comes after India's recent failures in the UK tour, which exposed some weaknesses and prompted selectors to explore new player combinations with an immediate impact.
Career highlights
Krunal's IPL 2026 heroics
Krunal, who last played for India in a T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2021, has been a hot topic lately due to his stellar performances in domestic cricket and the IPL.
The 35-year-old had an exceptional run with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their 2026 IPL-winning campaign, ending the season with 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.41 and 226 runs at an impressive strike rate of 145.81.
Performance review
Axar under the scanner
Axar, India's go-to all-rounder in T20Is, has been under the scanner for his recent performances.
He managed to take just four wickets in his last six T20I matches against Ireland and England.
However, it can be argued that the conditions weren't favorable for spinners in these two countries.
Despite this, Krunal's experience and recent form could make him a strong contender for selection.
Future matches
What lies ahead for Team India?
As India continue to build its T20I team under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, the selectors have an opportunity to test players like Krunal Pandya in the coming months.
The team has some important T20I fixtures lined up against Afghanistan and West Indies. This could be a perfect platform for Krunal's potential comeback into the national squad.
Performance
A look at his international career
In his brief international career, Pandya has played five ODIs and 19 T20Is for India.
He has scored a total of 254 runs in these 24 matches while taking 17 wickets with the ball.
Despite not playing for India for nearly five years now, he has been a key player in the IPL, scoring 1,982 runs at a strike rate of 133.82 and taking 107 wickets at an economy rate of 7.57.