For the sake of convenience mostly, Krunal Pandya is classified as a left-arm orthodox spinner. But what leaves his left arm at the point of delivery doesn’t always qualify as orthodox or even spin.
The variance in length can be extreme, with his repertoire including a sharp bouncer as well as the ball in the block-hole. Add his occasional low-arm release to the mix, he is able to keep the batters guessing in a format where his brethren of finger-spinners increasingly appear redundant.
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The 35-year-old’s methods may not necessarily please the classical practitioners of the craft from yesteryear, but he is seeking effectiveness rather than endorsement.
The unique approach is bearing fruit for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Having taken 17 wickets for the title-winning outfit last season, Krunal has claimed eight scalps in seven matches in 2026.
Dinesh Karthik, RCB’s batting coach and mentor, feels the southpaw is redefining the rules of finger-spin. “He is a player that this game is going to remember for a long time because he is doing something that has not been done before. He’s pushing the boundaries of what a finger-spinner means,” Karthik told reporters on Sunday.
“He’s bowling deliveries that people really couldn’t fathom a few years ago and he’s using them very cleverly. He’s not someone who’s just doing it because it looks cool. He knows that it does create a doubt in the batter. He is a trend-setter. IPL is changing the landscape of cricket and Krunal is changing the landscape of finger-spin bowling,” the former wicketkeeper-batter added.
Published on Apr 26, 2026