Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) might be in for another disappointing year. They made significant changes to their squad, retaining just three players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. But even such seismic changes might not bear fruit. Ever since they let Yuzvendra Chahal go in 2022, their bowling lineup has become weak. To fill the spin void, they brought Krunal Pandya into the mix.
Krunal Pandya’s striking ability
They bagged the left-arm spinner for Rs 5.25 crore at the auction. The thought process was right. Krunal is an experienced spinner who also offers quite a bit with the bat and in the field. Moreover, Krunal’s T20 economy at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the IPL is just 7.26. Considering the nature of the pitch in Bengaluru, this record is exemplary.
But while he doesn’t go for runs. He doesn’t take wickets either. In 7 matches at the venue, he’s got just 2 wickets. What helped RCB all those years was Chahal‘s wickets. He was never as economical but got wickets at regular intervals.
Krunal Pandya’s IPL record at M Chinnaswamy Stadium
| Span | Matches | Overs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2024 | 7 | 24 | 2 | 79 | 6.58 | 72 |
Now consider this: at his best, Chahal got you wickets (52 at Chinnaswamy) while going less than 8 runs per over. Krunal can’t take as many wickets. His best sees him leak no runs but take no wickets either. Now compare the worst. Chahal could go for 50 or 60 but take a wicket; in Krunal’s case, he might go for as many runs but won’t get to those breakthroughs.
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Krunal Pandya hit for 59 runs in SMAT
One doesn’t even need a hypothetical to prove the point. Earlier today, in the Saurashtra vs Baroda match, Krunal went for 59 runs in his 4 overs. Now, this happened in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024-25. No doubt SMAT is great competition, but in no way is it close to the IPL.
RCB’s spin battery for IPL 2025
If he can go for 60 runs in the SMAT, why can’t that happen at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium? RCB doesn’t have any great spin partners for him either. Swapnil Singh, a left-arm orthodox spinner himself, won’t probably play alongside him, and even if he does, it might not help RCB as he offers what Krunal does. Suyash Sharma has done well at the Kolkata Knight Riders but is he ready to be the leader of the pack? That’s yet to be seen. Mohit Rathee, a leg-spinner, has an 11-match experience bank, while Liam Livingstone at best can offer some handy part-time spin.
RCB squad for IPL 2025
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone✈️, Phil Salt✈️, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood✈️, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David✈️, Romario Shepherd✈️, Nuwan Thushara✈️, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell✈️, Devdutt Padikkal, Swastik Chhikara, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, Mohit Rathee
