Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to India’s T20I squad is a clear indication that the team management is now also looking at experience. With the veteran pacer’s inclusion in the team, Mohammed Shami is now in the spotlight as the fast bowler is raring to make a comeback to the national side. He has been putting up impressive performances in domestic cricket as well as the Indian Premier League, but Shami’s future regarding the national side still looks uncertain. At a time when the entire focus is on Bhuvneshwar and Shami when it comes to the team’s bowling, Sunil Gavaskar has backed another Royal Challengers Bengaluru player to make his India comeback. He is Krunal Pandya.
“Outstanding cricketer, really one of the smart cricketers that we have. Somebody you see with his bowling. He’s not a big turner of the ball, but he mixes his line, mixes his lengths so smartly, he reads the batter’s mind, bowls at the pads. You’ve seen him bowl the odd bouncer as well, so he’s always thinking and plotting against the batter, if not to get him out, at least to restrict him,” Gavaskar told JioStar.
“And then as a batter, as a fielder in the deep, he’s an outstanding cricketer and I do believe that if you want to win World Cups, you just go with the guys who you think will win the World Cup,” he added.
Krunal, who last featured for India in 2021, has played a crucial role in RCB’s title wins in 2025 and 2026. In the most recent season, he picked up 14 wickets in 16 matches while also scoring 226 runs.
The former India captain also advised the team management to focus on players’ fitness and performance rather than their age.
“Don’t look at their age. That’s not the point. If they’re playing in the IPL, they’re fit. If they’re playing domestic cricket, they are fit and if they’ve performed there, you pick them in the India team. That’s how you should go about it,” Gavaskar concluded.