The final few balls he faced during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s clash against Mumbai Indians were quite excruciating for Krunal Pandya. Wickets fell like nine pins around him, but the target seemed within reach. With every shot he played, the cramps seemed to get even worse.

He decided to fight on rather than surrender to the pain. The two sixes he hit in the 18th over, falling to the ground after every attempt, eventually helped the defending champion over the line in a tense chase.

“The cramps were quite painful. It started with the calf, then the hamstring and the glutes. Both my legs were cramping. I was very clear. I will not go out. I will fight through and make sure I can do whatever I can for the team,” the all-rounder would tell reporters after his match-winning knock.

When asked what it took to play through the pain, Krunal said: “Sheer willpower. Over time, I have maintained an attitude of not giving up, and I have always cherished these tough situations. I have the simple mindset that whenever I go out to bat, I will try to approach the situation in the way the team wants.”

It has been just under five years since Krunal last donned the India colours. After sliding down the pecking order after 2021, he has written himself back into contention with his performances for RCB. The all-rounder says he continues to harbour aspirations to play for the country in the shortest format.

“Since I was six or seven years old, I have dreamt of playing for India. There is still no change in that. My goal is to play for the country. A World Cup is coming next year, so fingers crossed. I want to keep doing well and get that opportunity,” the 35-year-old said.