India’s spin all-rounder Krunal Pandya dedicated the fifty he scored in his ODI debut against England on Tuesday in Pune to his late father Himanshu Pandya.
In an emotional beginning to his 50-over career for India, Pandya scored an impactful knock of 58 not out and helped the team post a total of 317/5, which the hosts ultimately defended by a margin of 66 runs.
In between the two innings, Krunal broke down in tears while trying to talk in an interaction with the commentators as he made an effort to speak of his father, who died on January 16.
Later on, having also bowled a spell of 1/59 in India’s win, Krunal spoke to his younger brother Hardik for BCCI.tv. Hardik had presented Krunal with his cap before the match started and it was only fitting that he interviewed him.
This is all dedicated to the old man, his blessings are there with us, and obviously it was very emotional – for you and me, both of us – and again, getting the cap from you, and I guess somewhere down the line, up there, he must be having a good night today, and enjoying the way I batted. So yeah, this is for him,
Krunal said.
Krunal revealed that he had brought with him in Pune his father’s clothes that the senior Pandya had planned to wear on the morning of January 16.
I was playing Syed Mushtaq Ali on that day, 16th morning,
he said.
He had a habit of keeping his clothes ready and select everything, his shoes, his pant, his shirts, hat as well… So what I did was just before the game, I got his bag from Baroda here….
Following the Pandya senior’s passing at 4 am that day, Krunal left Baroda’s state team’s bio-secure bubble for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. He immediately rushed back home before Hardik joined him after leaving the Indian team’s camp in Mumbai.
Due to the personal tragedy, Krunal featured in only three games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, where teammate Kedar Devdhar took over the reins of the Baroda side and led them to the final of the competition in which they lost to Tamil Nadu.
Playing for India is a dream come true, Pandya says
Krunal bounced back strongly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that followed, as he scored 388 runs, including two half-centuries and two centuries, from five innings with an average of 129.33 and strike rate of 117.93.
His consistent domestic performances for Baroda earned him the maiden national call-up in the ODIs. The cricketer has also previously featured in 18 T20Is for the country.
Dream come true, obviously,
Krunal told Hardik.
I have worked so hard to be here. Especially the last one-and-a-half months I have been putting in those hard yards not just in terms of cricket but in terms of everything: from taking care of my diet to fitness to everything.
I have not been working now (with a) result-oriented mind, my focus has always been lately about how I can be the best version of myself, how I can improve not just as a cricketer but how I can improve as a human being as well.
So that focus has always been on the process rather than the result, whether that’s good or bad is secondary for me, neither am I thinking about it. The only constant focus is how I can give the best opportunity to myself before every game,
he added.
After an inspiring start, Krunal will be hoping to continue in the same vein through the series, where he is auditioning as a back-up to one of India’s first-choice all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja.
