India all-rounder Krunal Pandya handed in his resignation as the captain of Baroda cricket team. The elder Pandya brother conveyed his decision to the president of Baroda Cricket Association, Pranav Amin via an email on November 26.
Pandya last led the team in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where they had a forgettable campaign, winning only one of their five games in Elite Group B. The 30-year-old was lacklustre with the bat, scoring only 83 runs at an average of 20.75. With the ball in hand, Krunal picked six wickets in the tournament at an economy of 5.94.
Krunal confirmed in the mail that while he is standing down as the skipper, he will be available for selection as a player and is determined to give his best for the team.
“This is to put on record that I will be unavailable to lead Baroda in the current domestic season. However, I will be available for selection to play for the team.
I will offer my best as a team member and player to Baroda cricket. My support and contribution will always be in the best interest of the team,”
he wrote.
Following Pandya’s resignation, the BCA is likely to appoint the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kedar Devdhar as the skipper, with Bhargav Bhatt as his deputy. They are expected to take charge ahead of the upcoming domestic season, starting with Vijay Hazare Trophy. Devdhar has prior experience of captaincy as he had led Baroda to the 2020-21 SMAT final earlier this year.
Krunal, who had taken the leadership role two seasons back, has been involved in controversies during his stint as the captain. Last year, he was accused of using abusive language by his teammate Deepak Hooda. Pandya was cleared of any misconduct by the BCA while Hooda quit the Baroda cricket team and moved to Rajasthan.
“From the past few days, my team captain Mr Krunal Pandya has been using abusive language towards me in front of my teammates and also other state teams,”
Hooda had written in an official complaint.
Pandya has over 4200 runs and nearly 200 wickets to his name in domestic cricket and has represented India in 24 limited-overs international matches.
