'Pushing the boundaries of finger spin' - RCB coach Dinesh Karthik applauds trailblazer Krunal Pandya

Published - 26 Apr 2026, 19:46 IST | Updated - 26 Apr 2026, 19:51 IST

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik has labelled all-rounder Krunal Pandya as a trailblazer in T20 cricket for his innovative skills with the ball. This comes before the defending champions travel to the capital city to take on the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, April 27.

Krunal has been one of RCB’s unsung heroes in their impressive start to the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The Baroda all-rounder has developed a plethora of deliveries that go against the norm when it comes to a spin bowler. This includes bowling a shortish ball to the batters, something which is not expected from a spinner.

“Krunal Pandya is a player this game will remember for a long time. He is pushing the boundaries of finger spin and bowling deliveries that weren't imaginable a few years ago. He is becoming a master at it. He knows when to use his variations to create doubt in the batter's mind, and more often than not, it delivers results. A lot of credit must go to him for how he is evolving as an all-rounder. IPL is changing the landscape of cricket, and Krunal is doing the same for finger-spin bowling.” Dinesh Karthik was quoted as saying via MyKhel.

Krunal has once again impressed with the ball in an RCB shirt. He has taken eight wickets from seven matches this season at an economy rate of 9.20. He carried his form last season, where he took 17 scalps at a strike-rate of just 16.2.

The 35-year-old, however, has not had many opportunities with the bat this season, thanks to RCB’s impressive top and middle order. However, after a mini collapse against the Gujarat Titans in their last game, the left-hander came in and scored an unbeaten 23 off just 12 balls to make sure that the defending champions chased down 206 with seven balls to spare to maintain his side’s great start to the 2026 season.