'People couldn’t fathom it': How Krunal Pandya is pushing boundaries of finger spin in T20s

Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik said left-arm spin all-rounder Krunal Pandya should be seen as a trend-setter for the way he has changed finger-spin bowling in T20 cricket.

Krunal has been one of RCB’s key bowlers in IPL 2026. He has used different methods to trouble batters, including surprise bouncers, switching between slinging deliveries and the normal arm ball, and changing his pace smartly.

His bowling has helped him take eight wickets in seven matches at an average of 28.75 and an economy rate of 9.20.

Speaking before RCB’s match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, Karthik said Krunal is doing something different that people had not seen earlier from finger-spinners.

“Krunal Pandya is a player that this game is going to remember for a long time because he is doing something that has not been done before - pushing the boundaries of what a finger-spinner means. He is bowling deliveries that people really couldn't fathom a few years ago, and he is becoming a master at it."

“He is using it very cleverly, very wisely when the situation demands, and he is using that as a strength of his to put pressure back on the person that he is bowling against. It's actually quite interesting to see how he goes about it mentally as well. He is not someone who is just doing it because it looks cool."

“He knows that given the moment when he does want to use it, it does create a doubt in the batter, and a lot of the time it delivers the result that he wants out of that ball. So he is someone who is going to be a person remembered as a cricketer. One that is a trendsetter.

“Today, if you see a lot of spinners trying to bowl different deliveries, I think a lot of credit must go to Krunal Pandya. He is definitely evolving as an all-rounder with every passing day, be it with the ball or the bat, and that is so wonderful to see. As I said, IPL is changing the landscape of cricket and Krunal Pandya is changing the landscape of finger spin bowling,” said Karthik.

Karthik also praised RCB captain Rajat Patidar for the way he has improved his batting.

Patidar has scored 238 runs this season at a strike rate of 210.61.

“Rajat Patidar is a good example of someone who is constantly upping his standards, upping the quality of shots that he's playing.

“As relaxed and calm as he is, he's a very thoughtful man who goes back at the end of the season and looks at areas where he could get better and works on them through the season."