There was no awkwardness saddling the Pandyas when the elder brother was picked for T20s against West Indies and Australia and the India A squad to tour New Zealand. The younger brother after all, was not in the reckoning due to an ongoing rehab for a back injury. Even otherwise, Krunal and Hardik have never allowed cricket come in between them, and neither will. That in a nutshell is what cricket means to these Baroda brothers —a way of life that’s not above the intensely personal space shared by them.
After Hardik’s meteoric rise, prompting premature and hyperbolic comparisons with Kapil Dev, hopefully it’s the older brother’s time to wade into international cricket. Like Krunal, Hardik too is equally excited at its prospect. “Hardik was going to bed because he had to get up early. I got the (selection) news late, around 10:30pm, and he said ‘Now I’m not feeling sleepy because I’m so excited you are part of the Indian team again. So, that’s the bond we have. We have never seen each other as competitor,” said Krunal from Baroda.
“Honestly, we have played our cricket together since childhood, whether it’s age-group or club cricket or even in the IPL. We were also in the T20I squad in England. We are very protective about each other. There is no competition. Just the love we have for each other is immense,” said Krunal, older to Hardik by 18 months and ready to defend his over-the-top image every time the topic rose.
“Hardik has been like this since childhood. There is nothing new that has happened to him after playing for India or for Mumbai Indians. I still remember my mother used to shout at him. He coloured his hair at the age of 10. So what Hardik is now is exactly what he was a child. Nothing has changed,” said Krunal, who insists changing his younger brother will do more harm than good.
{{/usCountry}}“Hardik has been like this since childhood. There is nothing new that has happened to him after playing for India or for Mumbai Indians. I still remember my mother used to shout at him. He coloured his hair at the age of 10. So what Hardik is now is exactly what he was a child. Nothing has changed,” said Krunal, who insists changing his younger brother will do more harm than good.
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“It’s important to be yourself. Whatever he does, wears or colours his hair, that is all after once he is finished with cricket. That’s his personal life, his personal space. What I know is no one will come between him and cricket, whether it’s his fashion or his family.
“I have never told Hardik to change himself. If you want to do well, you have to be yourself. Then only can you give a 100%. That’s what he is doing. As long as it is not affecting his cricket and not harming anyone, then I think we should leave him at it,” said Krunal who stresses the term ‘sibling rivalry’ doesn’t strictly apply to them purely from a cricketing perspective. “He is a fast bowling all-rounder. I’m a spin bowling all-rounder. These are two completely separate departments.”
Krunal is right. His family may not be confronted with the same discomfort that hung in the Ganguly household when Sourav was picked for the Bengal squad in place of the elder Snehasish, a prodigious left-handed batsman then. Or like in the several well-documented stories of Mark Waugh replacing older twin Steve Waugh, Shane Lee — and more recently Albie Morkel — living in the shadow of younger brothers Brett and Morne.
But as is the unfortunate case with most brothers in cricket, the Pandyas too have been quickly categorised. Hardik is the temperamental all-rounder with potential, urged to cement the all-important No 7 position across formats. Krunal, a more composed player who looks aware of his limits, is the older brother still trying to make his mark. Off the field, Hardik is all bling and unapologetically flashy in his social media presence. Krunal, on the other hand, comes off as more well-balanced. “You can say we have different personalities. But I’m naughtier than Hardik. He is more expressive. Not me though,” said Krunal. He however has no doubt who is more talented between them. “Hardik”.