IPL 2025: Sunil Gavaskar heaps praise on 'fine batter and clever bowler' Krunal Pandya

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar praised Krunal Pandya, terming him a "fine batter" and a "clever bowler" for his performance against Mumbai Indians. Krunal bagged a career-best four-wicket haul to help RCB win a close encounter by 12 runs at the Wankhede Stadium.

The left-arm spinner has been in roaring form in IPL 2025, and while he has not shown got a chance to do much with the bat, he has been consistent in picking up wickets and has played a crucial role in RCB's victories. Against Mumbai Indians, Krunal bowled the final over and defended 19 runs by claiming three wickets. 

"I've always admired him for the sharpness with which he plays his cricket and in his thinking. He makes up with his temperament for any minor deficiencies he might have — and frankly, he doesn’t have too many," Gavaskar said on JioHotstar while highlighting Krunal's impact against MI.

"He’s a fine batter and a clever bowler. When he bowls, he actually reminds me of how Vinoo Mankad used to be. Mankad wasn’t a huge turner of the ball, but he had subtle variations — line and length, changes of pace, occasional bounce and even a high full toss kind of beamer. Krunal Pandya has that same kind of variety. No wonder the captain had the confidence to hand him the ball for the final over. That kind of trust speaks volumes," he added.

RCB's victory by 12 runs against Mumbai Indians is their third win in four games, with all coming in away matches. They started the season with a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens in the season opener and then defeated Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk for the first time since 2008. RCB's only loss came against Gujarat Titans at home. They will host Delhi Capitals in their next fixture on April 10.