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Cricket Players'It's not me being overconfident': Ahead of mega auction, India star tells IPL franchises he 'will win you games - 100%'
The 30-year-old Indian star tells IPL franchises that he “will win you games” ahead of the mega auction, scheduled to take place between February 12-13.
The mega auction ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League takes place on February 12-13 in Bengaluru. With two new franchises (Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans) joining the tournament, the event has added significance. 590 players will go under the hammer during the mega auction as the franchises aim to outbid each other to rebuild their respective squads ahead of the new season.
Among many star players, India's Krunal Pandya will also be in the mega auction. Krunal had represented the Mumbai Indians in the IPL between 2016-2021, playing a key role in their three title wins (2017, 2019, and 2021). He was released by the franchise ahead of the 2022 edition and ‘Pandya Senior’ now has a message for all the teams ahead of the mega auction.
“Krunal Pandya will win you games - 100%,” the 30-year-old all-rounder told ESPNCricinfo.
“It is not me being over-confident or cocky. It is just self-belief. I am a team man. I always play to win championships.”
During his time at Mumbai Indians, Krunal had played with proven finishers like Hardik and Kieron Pollard, which saw him shuffling through the batting order. Krunal has batted at all positions between 4-7 for the franchise. The all-rounder further says he now expects to “get more opportunity.”
“I'm not someone who prefers only one number, but if I have a continuous role [in one position] that makes it easier for me,” says Pandya.
"We [Mumbai] were lucky we had two of the best finishers in our side. Automatically my role had to be fiddled with - I had to complement Hardik and Pollard when they went before me and I used to bat at 7. If we lost wickets early, I went in at 5 to make sure I gave them the right platform.
Pandya also spoke on his high bowling average in the tournament, insisting that his job was to keep the flow of runs in check.
“In the last two seasons my role was to defend. At the same time, I have bowled that sixth over, the toughest over in the powerplay [Pandya has bowled 33 overs in the powerplay across the last three seasons]. I have also bowled the second or third over,” said Pandya.
