Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) all-rounder Krunal Pandya He expressed his desire to represent India again, saying that he hoped to return to the national team despite being away from international cricket for almost five years.
Krunal played a key role in RCB's successful Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 title defence, making valuable contributions with both bat and ball throughout the campaign. The experienced all-rounder scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 145.80 and took 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.41 as the Bengaluru-based franchise lifted the IPL trophy for the second consecutive time.
The 34-year-old last wore the Indian jersey in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo on July 25, 2021. Since then, he has continued to play prominently in the IPL, representing franchises like Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and RCB.
In a recent conversation, the left-arm spinner reflected on his international journey and reiterated that playing for India remains the ultimate dream for any cricketer.
“There is no better feeling than playing for the country. When I was six or seven years old, there was no IPL. The biggest dream for any cricketer was to play for India. I dreamed about it all my life and I got that chance in 2018. I performed well in the 18 matches I played. I won man of the match in Australia and New Zealand and man of the series in West Indies. I performed well with the Indian team. Later, when I got Got another chance in ODI cricket, I performed very well again,” he said while talking to Times of India.
Acknowledging that being out of contention for the national team can be disappointing, Krunal revealed that he no longer lets selection discussions cloud his thoughts. Instead, he focuses on his passion for the game and the reasons that inspired him to pursue cricket in the first place.
“I don't think much about selection anymore. Of course, I am human and there are disappointments sometimes. But, you have to remind yourself why you started playing cricket. I love the game so much and that's what keeps me going,” he said.
Despite the long wait since his last international appearance, the all-rounder insisted that his hopes of a comeback remain intact.
“Yeah, there's always hope, right? I hope I get a chance to play for the country again. Fingers crossed, but I'm hopeful,” he concluded.
Krunal has enjoyed a strong resurgence in recent seasons and was one of RCB's most reliable performers during their title win. ipl 2026 Campaign.
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