Cricket is not just a sport but an emotion and it was in full display when India locked horns with England in the first ODI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune. It was an emotional debut for Krunal Pandya and he arrived in international cricket in an emphatic manner. The all-rounder smashed a whirlwind 31-ball 58* on his ODI debut, to help his side post a competitive total of 317/5 on the board before picking an important wicket.
It was a rollercoaster ride for the all-rounder from Baroda as the Pandya brothers (Krunal and Hardik) met with a shattering loss, as their beloved ‘Papa’ breathed his last earlier this year. Krunal, in particular, was in loss of words and broke down completely on his brother’s shoulders during the innings break. While praises flooded in for Krunal Pandya, Dinesh Karthik highlighted a different story.
Dinesh Karthik highlights the bond between Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya
As Krunal reached his half-century, his brother Hardik was seen applauding the feat wholeheartedly. There might have been a few tears that would have rolled out from Hardik’s eyes as well. Dinesh Karthik stated in his tweet that Himanshu Pandya, the father of the Pandya brothers would be extremely proud of both his sons. The former Kolkata Knight Riders skipper further added that it was a fairytale match for Krunal Pandya, and concluded by stating that this picture is enough for us to understand the bonding in the Pandya family.
“The blurred foreground, a proud background and an even happier man up above watching them. What a fairytale game it was yesterday for @krunalpandya24 but more importantly this picture is a lot about @hardikpandya7 & his love for his brother, the bond they share as a family and how they’ve gone from strength to strength post January when they met with a debacle.,” Dinesh Karthik wrote in one tweet.
and how they've gone from strength to strength post January when they met with a debacle.
Much love brothers, and a very happy birthday to you @krunalpandya24— DK (@DineshKarthik) March 24, 2021
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“Everything We Do Is For You Papa,” Krunal Pandya Reacts After Heroic ODI Debut
Speaking of the game, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy put on 135 in a little over 14 overs and at the time they made the target of 317 look insufficient. But England’s innings came crashing down once debutant Prasidh Krishna found a way through. They lost 10 wickets within 116 runs from there, with all off India’s seamers coming to the party.