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Sports

Krunal Pandya Interview: ‘Nothing bigger than playing for the country’ — RCB star holds onto India dream

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1 hour ago

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BENGALURU: Nearly 15 years ago, on matting wickets in Palej, a small town in Gujarat’s Bharuch district, a lanky youngster learnt the value of adaptation. Bowling with coated balls in local village tournaments, he quickly realised there would be little assistance for spin and survival depended on discipline, control and innovation. Those early lessons in constantly reinventing himself continue to define Krunal Pandya even today, as he features in his 11th Indian Premier League season.

The elder of the Pandya brothers, Krunal, who has represented India in five ODIs and 19 T20Is, has emerged as a vital cog in defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s spin attack over the past two seasons. Krunal’s impactful spell of 2/17 in last year’s final earned him the Player of the Match award and underlined his value in pressure situations.

As RCB push to defend their crown, the 35-year-old left-arm spinner is also quietly nurturing hopes of an India comeback, having last worn national colours in July 2021.

Years of hard work on and off the field, coupled with the highs and lows of professional cricket, have made Krunal more reflective and grounded. Now one of the most experienced all-rounders in the league, he remains driven by the urge to evolve and contribute.

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In an exclusive interview with TOI, Krunal — who has played 152 IPL matches since making his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2016 — spoke about longevity, reinventing his bowling and his enduring India ambitions.

Excerpts:

It’s your 11th year in the IPL. How do you see your evolution as a player?

The evolution feels very grateful and honestly, when you start playing at the highest level, you want to play as long as you can. For me, what I feel proud of is longevity. I am into my 11th season, and that is a sign that I have constantly gotten better. As a player, I have always focused on trying to become the best version of myself.

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Over the years, there has been a lot of learning. I have seen extreme days in the last 10 years. That has made me more humble and given me more gratitude towards the sport and life as well. The goal is to continue doing what I do, which is to get better and win games for my team.

Is that where your desire to reinvent yourself comes from?

Yes. Reinventing myself is part of the process. The good thing with me is that I don’t shy away from trying new things. If I believe something can work for me and give me an extra edge in the sport, I always give it a shot.

But it is never about trying something flashy or doing something just to look cool. There is always a lot of logic and thought behind the changes, execution and outcome.

I haven’t suddenly started bowling a bouncer or a slinger overnight. There has been a lot of practice behind it.

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Amid your commitment towards RCB and Baroda, where does your India ambition stand?

It is right there, at the top of the table. There is nothing bigger than playing for the country. The thought process about representing India never changes.

Whatever opportunities I got to represent India, I did well. I firmly believe in focusing on what is in your hands, which is playing your sport at your best.

What specific mechanical shift helped you move from a collapsing front leg to a stronger vertical brace?

It is fitness. Sometimes, we don’t highlight enough the work that happens behind the scenes. At the end of the day, it is important to acknowledge what has worked.

For me, the fitter you are, the more things you can adapt to. Sometimes as a cricketer or even as a person, you know what you want to improve at, but your body may not allow it because you are not fit enough to adapt to new things.

Trying to become the fittest version of myself has helped me develop new things in my game.

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Has your new release height helped you generate more bounce and zip off the surface?

Yes, obviously, I have worked a lot on my bowling. When I bowl left-arm spin now, I am much taller in my action than before. I have shortened my stride to get more bounce because in the IPL, you hardly get spin from the wicket.

So the question becomes: how do you deceive batters? I have worked on my action to get that extra bounce by staying tall. I have realised that the best cricket I have played in my career has come when I have followed my instincts.

Can you elaborate on making the short ball a wicket-taking option?

People have emphasized a lot on the short ball I bowl. In the last two years, I saw some stats where I had bowled the maximum number of bouncers, which is strange.

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But I don’t focus on any one particular delivery. My only focus is staying one step ahead of the batter.

Given the limited batting opportunities you’ve had over the past few years, how have you worked on it?

Over the past 3-4 years, I haven’t had too many opportunities to bat in the IPL. That said, the thought process remains the same. How can I evolve? How can I get better? In the past two years as a batting unit, we have done unbelievably well, so I don’t have any complaints about me not batting. But yeah, whenever the opportunity comes, I will give my 100%.

Over 1800 runs and in excess of 100 wickets in IPL, how satisfying is that in his journey?

If I have to sum it up in one word, grateful. And for me, the icing on the cake is those four trophies (three with the Mumbai Indians) which I’ve had an opportunity to lift.

You are not somebody who backs down from challenges. Does that come naturally to you?

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Yes. I have learnt that from my parents. They never back down from anything. That willpower to keep fighting and never give up comes very naturally to me because of them.

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Sports

WWE Backlash 2026: 5 Last-minute predictions

Published

3 minutes ago

on

9 May 2026

By

Triple H and his WWE creative regime are just inches away from their first Premium Live Event post-WrestleMania 42: Backlash 2026. The card for the PLE already looks promising with five promising must-see matches.

There’s already buzz about the show this weekend, and fans are sharing their predictions. Roman Reigns is once again at the top of the food chain, having officially wrapped that gold belt around his waist. The Original Tribal Chief had a perfect game plan for himself this year, kicking off the year by winning the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble. Without wasting any time, he picked CM Punk to face at WrestleMania 42.

At the Granddaddy of Them All, Reigns showcased that he is hungry for glory, giving a glimpse of his OG Tribal Chief run. After competing in a thirty-minute-plus classic match, The OTC managed to overpower The Best in the World and pinned him, becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion.

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On the post-Mania edition of Monday Night RAW, Jacob Fatu, who has been riding a massive wave of success and is also coming off a massive win over Drew McIntyre, issued a challenge to The OTC to face him at Backlash 2026 with the World Heavyweight Championship up for grabs.

Initially, Reigns refused, but Fatu crossed the line and caught him in a Tongan Death Grip, which infuriated the Tribal Chief to accept his challenge. Throughout their build, the Samoan Werewolf has gained a major upper hand and showcased why he is by far one of the toughest opponents The OTC has ever faced in his iconic career.

The other four matches on the card are as follows: Trick Williams will be facing Sami Zayn in a rematch for the United States Championship, Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker, IYO SKY vs. Asuka, and Danhause & mystery partner will lock horns with The Miz and Kit Wilson.

That being said, the card for this PLE is packed, and to add more fuel to the hype train for the 2026 WWE Backlash Premium Live Event, we will take a look at five last-minute predictions:

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#5. Kairi Sane helps IYO SKY beat Asuka

Following WrestleMania 42, the Stamford-based promotion dropped bombshells by releasing 20-plus talents. Amongst all the releases, one of the most shocking budget cuts was of Damage CTRL’s The Pirate Princess, who was let go by the company on April 24.

The fans didn’t receive her release well and started a campaign on X/Twitter called “WeWantKairi,” and were also caught chanting the same on WWE RAW. Triple H and his creative team are known for listening to fans. Prime example was bringing back R-Truth after social media backlash after initially firing him.

A few days back, a report emerged stating that there is a belief within the company that Sane could at least make an appearance at Backlash. If that’s true, she might finally get her revenge on Asuka for constantly bullying her by turning a babyface and helping SKY to beat the Empress of Tomorrow, ending her stint with the promotion, and completing her storyline.

#4. Sami Zayn turns heel and wins the WWE United States Championship

WWE has been high on the Zayn-Williams saga. Them closing the go-home edition of Friday Night SmackDown WWE Backlash is just proof of it. Tonight, fans witnessed Gingerbread Man’s funeral on the show. Trick presented a tribute to Gingerbread Man with a song; the entire ring was decorated with background singers, and Gingerbread Man was inside the casket.

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Zayn had had enough, and he came out and snapped at Williams and waved the WWE United States Champion above his head, signaling he would regain. In a shocking ending, the Gingerbreak Man woke up, removed his mask, and revealed himself as Lil Yachty, who attacked Sami with the stick, revealing it all as a trap for the Honorary Uce. The rapper stood tall with the US Champion.

It appears Zayn could end up winning the United States Title, as there has been a long-standing rule in the company that the star who gains the upper hand on the go-home episode ahead of PLE ends up losing. The Honorary Uce has been showing signs of a heel turn; his snapping at Williams also drew heat from the crowd, which is a major spoiler for his heel turn.

Zayn could finally turn heel this weekend and win the United States Championship.

#3. Bronson Reed returns to help Bron Breakker

The past few months have been tough for The Vision faction as two of its major members, Reed and Breakker, sustained injuries and were put on the shelf, landing the heel Paul Heyman-led stable into major trouble.

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Bron made his massive return to the Stamford-based promotion at WrestleMania 42 and attacked Seth Rollins, costing him his match against Gunther. Now, WWE has booked Breakker and Rollins in a singles match. Bronson Reed has recently posted four watch emojis on his official Instagram story, hinting at his return at Backlash.

In a shocking turn of events, the Australian star may return in Tampa and help Breakker beat Rollins, turning their feud even more personal as their rivalry won’t end with just one match; it will be deeper and more personal. For the same reason, the company needs time.

#2. The Usos turn heel on Roman Reigns after the match

Jey and Jimmy Uso are at The Original Tribal Chief’s corner and have reformed the OG Bloodline with him following his World Heavyweight Championship win.

Even the go-home edition of Friday Night SmackDown saw The Usos sending the final warning to Jacob Fatu, telling him how Tribal Chief would destroy him this weekend. But in Tampa, fans could witness a big betrayal where Jey and Jimmy Uso may finally turn heel on The OTC. He manages to retain his title, kicking off the Bloodline saga yet again, adding an entirely new perspective to the PLE.

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This heel turn could finally lead to The Rock vs. Roman Reigns saga, where he could be revealed as the true mastermind behind the Usos turning heel by WWE SummerSlam 2026.

#1. Jelly Roll sides with Danhausen

The rapper Jelly Roll has been trying to be in WWE as much as he can. He was seen on television more often during the Road to WrestleMania 42. Roll also took Pat McAfee at Mania Saturday, before Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton began.

For those unaware, Jelly also had a history with The Miz and Kit Wilson. He even captured his first singles match win over Kit on WWE SmackDown earlier this year.

Given the rapper’s history with The A-Lister and Wilson, Danhausen, who is actively looking for a tag partner, could bring Jelly Roll as his tag team partner for WWE Backlash, adding mainstream eyes to the PLE.

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