Krunal Pandya Shines with the Ball Despite Batting Struggles
RCB’s All-Rounder Continues to Play Crucial Role with the Ball in IPL 2025
Bengaluru, April 24, 2025 —
In an IPL season full of highs and lows for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), one player who has stood out with consistent performances with the ball is Krunal Pandya. Despite his struggles with the bat, Pandya’s crucial wicket-taking ability has played a key role in RCB’s recent successes. His vital contributions in the match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) highlighted his growing importance as a bowler for the team.
Pandya’s Bowling Impact:
In the home fixture against Rajasthan Royals, where RCB won by 11 runs, Krunal delivered an impressive spell of 4-0-31-2, claiming key wickets at a time when RR was gaining momentum. He dismissed Nitish Rana and Riyan Parag, two of Rajasthan’s pivotal middle-order batters, breaking important partnerships that hindered RR’s chase.
Krunal’s two wickets helped RCB restrict Rajasthan to 194/9, and his bowling has now brought his season total to 12 wickets—making him one of RCB’s top wicket-takers in IPL 2025. His ability to deliver in the middle overs and provide breakthroughs when needed has proven invaluable, even though his batting has not contributed as expected.
Batting Struggles:
While Pandya has excelled with the ball, his form with the bat has been a major concern this season. Once renowned for his all-round skills, he has failed to make an impact with the bat, contributing very little in the lower order. However, his role as a bowler has become more vital as RCB looks to secure a playoff spot.
RCB’s Playoff Push:
RCB’s victory over Rajasthan saw them climb to 12 points and move to third place in the points table. While much of the credit for the win went to Virat Kohli’s consistency with the bat and Josh Hazlewood’s dominance with the ball, Krunal’s role as a bowler cannot be overlooked. His contributions are helping keep RCB in contention for the playoffs as the tournament progresses.
Krunal’s Growing Importance:
Though his batting has been underwhelming, Krunal Pandya’s value as a bowler continues to rise. His ability to break partnerships and deliver key wickets at crucial moments is proving to be a match-winner for RCB, especially in high-pressure situations.
RCB fans will be hoping that Krunal can find some form with the bat as the season progresses, but for now, his bowling performances are keeping the team on track for a potential playoff finish.
