Star all- rounder Krunal Pandya was acquired by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL 2025 auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday, November 25. RCB secured Krunal’s services for ₹5.75 crore after a bidding battle with Rajasthan Royals (RR), while Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) opted not to use the Right to Match (RTM) option.
This marks Krunal’s third IPL franchise, following his previous stints with Mumbai Indians and LSG. However, his salary has seen a ₹2.5 crore decrease compared to the ₹8.25 crore he earned when picked by LSG during the 2022 auction.
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Krunal Pandya has featured in 127 IPL matches, scoring 1,647 runs at a strike rate of 132.82 and claiming 76 wickets with an economy rate of 7.36. In T20s overall, he has played 200 games, accumulating 2,757 runs (including eight half-centuries) and taking 139 wickets.
In addition to his all-round abilities, Krunal has also demonstrated leadership skills, briefly captaining Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL. He led the team to three wins in six matches during the 2023 season.
Currently, Krunal is captaining Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In his most recent match against Uttarakhand, he contributed 45 runs off 35 balls and took one wicket.
“We have always approached the game with a leadership mindset”- Krunal Pandya discussed his leadership skills before his IPL captaincy debut
Before his IPL 2023 captaincy debut, Krunal Pandya stated that he had always approached the game with a leader’s perspective (via ESPNcricinfo):
“Both Hardik and I have played cricket in a certain way, whether we were leaders within the team or not… we have always taken that responsibility. We have always seen the game as a leader.”
“So, when you see the game in that way, and then when you get the captaincy, it is slightly easier because you are already seeing the game in that way,” he added.
RCB buys till now:
Josh Hazlewood (₹12.25 crore), Phil Salt (₹11.50 crore), Suyash Sharma (₹2.6 crore), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (₹10.75 crore), Jitesh Sharma (₹11 crore), Liam Livingstone (₹8.75 crore), Rasikh Dar (₹6 crore), Krunal Pandya (₹5.75 crore).
Retained players:
Virat Kohli (₹21 crore), Rajat Patidar (₹11 crore), Yash Dayal (₹5 crore)
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