‘When it comes to captaincy, I don’t want to….’ – Krunal Pandya on his captaincy in ongoing IPL 2023

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has won two of its last three games while Krunal Pandya has served as captain, putting them in control of their own destiny as the playoff battle intensifies. In addition to securing playoff status, a victory in their last league match, against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, will offer them a chance to finish in the top two.

Krunal has performed as well while doing well in his role as captain. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and against his former team, Mumbai Indians, he scored 49 runs and bowled an economical spell to lead the team to an important victory.

We have always taken that responsibility: Krunal Pandya

“When it comes to captaincy, I don’t want to imitate anyone. I want to learn good things from everyone, but at the same time, I want to be myself. And if I am myself and do it my way, then the chances of me doing well for the team are higher. I’ve played cricket hard, I’ve played cricket in a certain way, and I am applying the same thing here as well,” Krunal was quoted as saying to reporters in Kolkata.

In some ways, Krunal’s time as captain also brings two ambitious Baroda brothers’ desire to an end. When Krunal and Hardik Pandya, the captains of the Gujarat Titans, stood side by side at the toss on May 7, the IPL saw its first brother vs brother match. The Pandya brothers may possibly be Nos. 1 and 2 on the points chart by the end of the league stage, and according to Krunal, one of the reasons for their success is that they are natural leaders.

“Both Hardik and I have played cricket in a certain way, whether we were leaders within the team or not… we have always taken that responsibility,” he said. “We have always seen the game as a leader. So when you see the game in that way, and then when you get the captaincy, it is slightly easier because you are already seeing the game in that way. What happened to KL is a big loss for us, but I’ve taken this challenge and I’m looking forward to it,” the left-arm spinner asserted.