Team India all-rounder Krunal Pandya made a stellar debut during 1st ODI between India and England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. He played a quickfire knock to help his side post a challenging total on the board before shinning with the ball as Virat Kohli & Co went 1-0 up in the three-match One-Day series.
Pandya came out to bat when India were in a tricky situation losing a couple of wickets in quick succession. But he showed nerves of steel taking on the English bowling attack from the very first ball. He stepped out and cleared the in-field with ease and shared a 100+run stand with KL Rahul to propel India to a challenging total of 317 runs which looked impossible at one stage.
Krunal Pandya remained unbeaten on 58 runs from 31 deliveries including seven boundaries and two sixes while KL Rahul chipped in with an unbeaten 62-run knock to bail India to a total which was enough to seal a victory. Speaking at the innings break, the all-rounder from Baroda was in complete loss of words as tears rolled down his eyes in memory of his late father, who passed away earlier this year.
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Krunal was seen crying on his brother – Hardik Pandya’s shoulder as a plethora of emotions flowed inside his body. Speaking about bowling, he bounced back exceedingly well after an expensive start where he gave away 35 runs in just three overs. Krunal Pandya finished with figures of one for 59 from his 10 overs as Indian bowlers staged a brilliant comeback to win the match by 66 runs. Shardul Thakur and debutant Prasidh Krishna were magnificent with the ball with good support from senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Krunal Pandya pens down an emotional note for his late father
After a brilliant start to his ODI career, Krunal Pandya poured his heart out in memory of his late father on the microblogging site Twitter with every word filled with emotions. He thanked his father for all the hard work he has put in and is hopeful that he has made him proud.
“Papa, with every ball you were always on my mind and in my heart. Tears rolled down my face as I felt your presence with me. Thank you for being my strength, for being the biggest support I’ve had. I hope I made you proud. This is for you Papa, everything we do is for you Papa,” Krunal Pandya wrote on Twitter.
Papa, with every ball you were always on my mind and in my heart. Tears rolled down my face as I felt your presence with me. Thank you for being my strength, for being the biggest support I’ve had. I hope I made you proud. This is for you Papa, everything we do is for you Papa ❤️ pic.twitter.com/djQWaytETG
— Krunal Pandya (@krunalpandya24) March 23, 2021