Krunal Pandya, captaining Lucknow Super Giants in the absence of the injured KL Rahul, wants to develop his own style of leadership, even as he tries to incorporate the best habits of other captains.
“I always played cricket how I wanted to play,” he said on Thursday at a jersey-launch event for the franchise. “I don’t want to imitate anyone. Yes, I want to learn good things from everyone but at the same time, I want to be myself. If I be myself, and if I do it my way, then the chances of doing well for the team is high. I’ve played cricket hard and in a certain way, and the same thing I apply while being the captain of this team as well.”
The Lucknow management made Krunal captain after a thigh injury ruled Rahul out of the tournament, with five matches still remaining in the group stage. “Obviously for a team, it is a big loss, as a captain and as a player,” said Krunal. “It is tough, we feel sad for what happened to KL. But at the same time, we must look forward. The entire team are together and giving our best.”
Lucknow sit third in the points table with 15 points from 13 games. A win in their final game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday would see them seal a place in the play-offs. On being asked whether Rinku Singh, the revelation of the season for Kolkata, would be a factor or not, Krunal said, “Every player is a big factor at this level. We can’t take anyone lightly. He has been great for KKR, massive boost for them. Rinku will be a big factor. But at this level, every player is dangerous. We’re not taking anyone lightly.”
Krunal won three IPL titles in his six seasons with Mumbai Indians, playing alongside Hardik, this younger brother. After the two left the Mumbai franchise before the 2022 season, he had to watch as Hardik led Gujarat Titans to glory in their first season.
Lucknow too qualified for the play-offs at the first attempt, but their season ended in the Eliminator against Royal Challengers Bangalore. As they eye another post-season appearance, Krunal is taking nothing for granted. “There is still no qualification for us,” he said. “Our focus is to play the way Lucknow is known for. We hope we play to our potential and win the game.”
Even as he embraced the stand-in-captaincy challenge with Lucknow, Krunal said that conversations with Hardik, who also captains India T20I side, had certainly helped. “We discuss cricket a lot, we discuss everything,” said Krunal. “We have played cricket in a certain way. Whether we were leaders or not, we have always taken responsibilities, and we have seen this game as leaders.”