Full Name: Krunal Himanshu Pandya
Born: March 24, 1991 (age 35), Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Digital marketing that shows up in revenueHome Town: Baroda (Vadodara)
Nationality: Indian
ROLE: All-rounder, Slow left-arm orthodox Bowler, Left-handed Batsman
Brother: Hardik Pandya (younger brother, India all-rounder)
IPL Teams: Mumbai Indians (2016-2021), Lucknow Super Giants (2022-2024), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2025-present)
IPL Titles: 2017, 2019, 2020 (Mumbai Indians); 2025, 2026 (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
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In the year 2016, IPL most successful franchise in Mumbai Indians bought a left-arm spin all-rounder, Krunal Pandya. The world didn’t know much about him until he smacked 86 off 37 balls against Delhi Daredevils in his debut season. Hardik’s brother, Krunal too is an all-rounder and more importantly a hard hitter of the ball.
Krunal Pandya has won the IPL five times. He won three titles with Mumbai Indians and two in a row with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025 and 2026. He is the first player to win the Player of the Match award in two IPL finals.
Interestingly, Krunal Pandya had not yet played first-class cricket when Mumbai Indians picked him. Nonetheless, he stood up to the expectations and became an important part of the Mumbai Indians side.
EARLY YEARS:
A left-arm spin all-rounder, Krunal Pandya was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Krunal’s love for cricket began in his childhood. He and his brother both learned the nuances of cricket at Kiran More’s academy in Vadodara. The duo gradually made a name for themselves in the city, making decent strides in competitive cricket.
Krunal Pandya was born to Himanshu and Nalini Pandya on 24 March 1991. He was from a middle-class family. After seeing the potential of a 6-year-old Krunal, his father decided to shift to Vadodara, enrolling him in Kiran More’s Cricket Academy. Both the brothers were trained under the watchful eyes of Kiran More and Jitender Singh.
PERSONAL LIFE:
Krunal Pandya is the elder brother of Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya. He was born on 24th March, 1991 to Himanshu Pandya and Nalini Pandya. He married Pankhuri Sharma on 27 December 2017. The couple have two sons, Kavir (born July 2022) and Vayu (born April 2024).
His father Himanshu died in early 2021. Krunal dedicated his fifty on ODI debut in March 2021 to his father.
DOMESTIC CRICKET:
After impressing the cricketing circuit in his debut IPL season, Pandya made his first-class debut for Baroda on 6th October 2016 in the Ranji Trophy. He made a decent contribution both with bat and ball in the 2016-17 Ranji season followed by a strong showing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was Baroda’s leading run-scorer and leading wicket-taker, ending the tournament with 366 runs and 11 wickets. He averaged 45.75 with the bat, while striking the ball at 81.33.
He was named captain of the Baroda team for the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 109 off 63 balls against Hyderabad as Baroda made 417 for 4.
Also Check: Top 5 Innings of Krunal Pandya
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE:
Not a lot of people knew about Krunal Pandya until he was bought by Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League for ₹2 crore. Krunal Pandya played his first game for Mumbai Indians in the year 2016 against Gujarat Lions at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. He ended the game with the bowling figures of 1/20, while scoring 20 runs with the bat.
On 15 May 2016, he scored 86 off 37 balls against Delhi Daredevils at Visakhapatnam and was named Player of the Match. In the 2017 IPL final, he scored 47 off 38 balls and was again Player of the Match as Mumbai won the title.
He played for Mumbai Indians from 2016 to 2021. Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹8.25 crore at the 2022 auction. In May 2023, he took over as Lucknow captain after KL Rahul was injured, and he led the side for the rest of that season.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed him for ₹5.75 crore at the 2025 mega auction. In the 2025 final against Punjab Kings, he took 2/17 in four overs and was named Player of the Match as RCB won their first IPL title. This made him the first player to win the Player of the Match award in two IPL finals.
IPL 2026: SECOND TITLE WITH RCB
RCB kept Krunal Pandya for IPL 2026. On 15 April 2026, against Lucknow Super Giants in Bengaluru, he took his 100th IPL wicket when he dismissed Abdul Samad. Later in the season he scored an unbeaten 73 off 46 balls against Mumbai Indians in Raipur. RCB won that game by two wickets, went top of the table and knocked Mumbai out of playoff contention.
On 31 May 2026, RCB beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to win back-to-back titles. Krunal took one wicket in the final. As of November 2026, he has more than 100 IPL wickets and five IPL titles.
INTERNATIONAL CRICKET:
Krunal Pandya was included in India’s T20I squad for the home series against West Indies in 2018. He made his debut on 4th November 2018 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, where he took one wicket and scored an unbeaten 21 off 9 balls. He was then included in India’s T20I series in Australia. In the third match in Sydney, he took 4/36 in 4 overs, his best T20I figures.
He made his ODI debut against England in Pune on 23 March 2021. He scored 58 not out off 31 balls, and his fifty came in 26 balls, the fastest fifty by a debutant in ODI history. India won the match by 66 runs.
Krunal has played 5 ODIs and 19 T20Is for India. In the ODIs he scored 130 runs and took 2 wickets. In the T20Is he scored 124 runs and took 15 wickets. His last matches for India came on the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021, where he tested positive for Covid-19 during the T20I series. As of November 2026, he has not played for India since then.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Krunal Pandya?
Krunal Pandya is an Indian left-arm spin all-rounder who plays for Baroda and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has won five IPL titles.
Is Krunal Pandya the brother of Hardik Pandya?
Yes. Krunal Pandya is the elder brother of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
What is Krunal Pandya's full name?
His full name is Krunal Himanshu Pandya.
When was Krunal Pandya born?
Krunal Pandya was born on 24 March 1991 (age 35) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to Himanshu and Nalini Pandya.
Has Krunal Pandya played for India?
Yes. He has played 5 ODIs and 19 T20Is for India. His last matches for India came in Sri Lanka in July 2021.
What is Krunal Pandya's highest score in ODI cricket?
His highest ODI score is 58 not out off 31 balls, made on his debut against England in Pune on 23 March 2021. His fifty came in 26 balls, the fastest by an ODI debutant.
Who is Krunal Pandya's wife?
Krunal Pandya married Pankhuri Sharma on 27 December 2017. They have two sons, Kavir and Vayu.
Which IPL team does Krunal Pandya play for?
He plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who signed him for ₹5.75 crore at the 2025 mega auction. He earlier played for Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.
How many IPL titles has Krunal Pandya won?
He has won five IPL titles: 2017, 2019 and 2020 with Mumbai Indians, and 2025 and 2026 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Did Krunal Pandya take 100 IPL wickets?
Yes. He took his 100th IPL wicket on 15 April 2026 against Lucknow Super Giants in Bengaluru.
