Krunal Pandya hit a whirlwind 86 off 37 balls to put MI in a commendable position against DD. The all-rounder also shone with the ball as he picked up the crucial wicket of Quinton De Kock. The all-rounder has been a revelation this tournament with the bat and the ball and has got a man of the match for both the efforts. “I am happy with my performance for the Mumbai Indians. Batting, bowling – wherever I have got the opportunity – I have done well. I will like to continue with the same. We have one match remaining [against Gujarat Lions in Kanpur on May 21] and we will try to win it and qualify for the play-offs,” said the happy left-arm spinner.

The Baroda-based cricketer had to go under the knife to deal with a shoulder injury when his brother Hardik shot to fame with Mumbai Indians in IPL 2015. Krunal who is the older Pandya brother has recuperated well and has played a crucial role in MI’s fortunes this season with his all-round performances. “We have one thing on our mind, about winning the next game. We are not thinking about the result but are focusing on the process. We will go there [to Kanpur], practise well for two days. If we will execute the skills, then the result will be in our favour,” said a determined Krunal looking forward to the next game.

Mumbai Indians have a star-studded support staff and have helped the team and the players come a long way. Krunal acknowledged the support staff in the MI camp for his success. “We have many legends in the team, from [head coach] Ricky Ponting, Sachin [Tendulkar] sir, Jonty [Rhodes] sir. I have learnt a lot about batting from Robin Singh [assistant coach]. It’s been a good experience,” he added.

Quotes taken from The Times of India