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XtraTime Web Desk: Baroda all rounder Krunal Pandya will be setting his sights at the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) season. The Mumbai Indians cricketer will be hoping to put up a good show with both bat and ball to stake a claim in Indian ODI side as well. The 29 year old Krunal, who made his T20I debut for India against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2018, will have stiff competitions from an established Ravindra Jadeja and takented Washington Sundar as far as spinning all rounder is concerned.

Krunal, who is also the elder brother of Hardik was drawn to cricket as a result of his father Himanshu, who took both his sons to a cricket carnival in town. They were soon spotted and eventually got an opportunity to train at the Kiran More Cricket Academy. Both Pandya brothers became popular in the local cricketing circles for their ability to hit big sixes. In 2016, despite not having made his first-class debut, the Mumbai Indians' talent scouts spotted his talent and brought him for a whopping 2 crores at the auction.
Krunal soon repaid the trust shown by the franchise owners by playing a stunning knock of 86 runs off just 37 deliveries against Delhi Daredevils. In the following season, he came into his own with his all round ability to become one of Mumbai's most utility players of the season. He was also adjudged the Man of the Match in the 2017 IPL final against Rising Pune Supergiants, for his effort with the bat. He scored a valuable 47 runs in the final to guide Mumbai to a thrilling 1 run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Consistent performances in the IPL and domestic circuit soon caught the eyes of the selectors. He was drafted in the India A squad for the tri series against South Africa A and Afghanistan A. The true reflection of his talent however came at the 2018 IPL auctions, where teams took his price up 22 times from his base price to a whopping 8.8 crores, before Mumbai Indians used their 'Right to Match' card.

A true blue IPL star, Krunal Pandya, remains one of the most sought-after names in the IPL. Left-handed and hard hitting with the bat, added to his left-arm spin puts him in a similar league of lower-order all-rounders, as that of his younger brother, Hardik Pandya. Krunal has so far played 18 T20Is for India, picking 14 wickets. He last played a T20I against Bangladesh at Rajkot.