Krunal Pandya chooses between Shikhar Dhawan-Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah-Lasith Malinga, Hardik Pandya-Kieron Pollard
Mumbai Indians all-rounder Krunal Pandya was the one who had to make these difficult choices. The southpaw, however, came out with flying colours. The one asking the questions to Krunal was India women's team batter Jemimah Rodrigues.
Who Would you pick between Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant? One has been a stalwart at the top of the order while the latter is among the rising stars of Indian cricket. What if the choice is made even more difficult and you are now asked to pick between Jasprit Bumrrah and Lasith Malinga? Mumbai Indians all-rounder Krunal Pandya was the one who had to make these difficult choices. The southpaw, however, came out with flying colours. The one asking the questions to Krunal was India women's team batter Jemimah Rodrigues.
Pandya picked Shikhar Dhawan over Rishabh Pant.
“(Shikhar) is an experienced pro, has been playing for the last 10 years and won so many games. Again Rishabh is a gun player, but I’ll go with Shikhar,” Pandya explained during a chat with Rodrigues on ‘Dream11 Dil Ya Dimaag’ when asked to make a choice between the two to bat with for life.
Krunal Pandya has been a crucial cog for the five-time champions. But the IPL 2021 has been unusually quiet for the senior Pandya brother. However, when Rodrigues pitched some deliveries in the corridor of uncertainty, Pandya met them all from right of the middle of the bat.
Krunal was next asked to choose Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah as the best death bowler and he picked the Sri Lankan’s consistent dominance over a long period.
“I’ve seen him from 2008 and to rule like that in white ball cricket for 10 to 12 years consistently is massive, you can’t take it away from him,” he added.
But when it came to making a choice between Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, he obviously picked his younger brother. “There is the same kind of love for Pollard too but…,” admitted the left-arm spinner whose side will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday night.
Mumbai Indians have not had the best of starts to the UAE leg of the 14th edition of IPL. The defending champions lost their opening encounter to CSK and then were humbled by KKR in the next.
The Rohit Sharma-led side is currently no.6 in the points table with 8 points in 9 matches. They will be hoping give themselves some breathing space by beating RCB in their next match.