Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya says a big part of his learning curve has come from studying Virat Kohli—up close as a teammate and from the other end as an opponent. Pandya believes Kohli’s focus hasn’t changed over the years, praising the way the former RCB captain prepares for each competition and brings the same intensity to every practice session.
Quick facts
- Krunal Pandya says he has learned a lot by watching Virat Kohli prepare and train.
- He highlighted the “same intensity” in Kohli’s eyes over the years.
- Kohli has scored 379 runs in the season at a strike rate of 163.36, despite ducks in his last two matches.
- Pandya credits mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik (DK) for RCB’s improved batting approach.
- In the prior match versus Mumbai Indians, Krunal made an unbeaten 73 off 46 balls, with RCB finishing the chase on the final ball.
Pandya also pointed out that even when Kohli has been dismissed cheaply—he registered ducks in his previous two games—there’s still a clear through-line in his mindset. The Bengaluru batter has already accumulated 379 runs this season, striking at 163.36, a reminder of how quickly he can turn pressure into runs when his timing clicks.
The all-rounder, who delivered the winning contribution in the earlier meeting against Mumbai Indians, stressed that Kohli’s drive remains a constant. Speaking on JioStar’s Superstars, Pandya said he has seen Kohli’s tournament preparation from both sides and that the hunger to keep improving is still “unbelievable”.
“I have learned a lot just by watching Virat Kohli, the way he prepares for a tournament and the intensity he brings to every practice session. I have played with him for India when he was captain, and I have also played against him,” Krunal said on the show.
He added that sharing the dressing room with Kohli again has only reinforced what he already believed. “Now, I am lucky to share the same dressing room with him again. What I have realized is that his hunger is still unbelievable. Those eyes don’t lie. The same intensity in every net session, the same hunger to improve,” Pandya concluded.
Role of DK in RCB’s batting turnaround
Turning to RCB’s batting transformation, Krunal credited mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik for refining the team’s approach. His comments came after a crucial knock against Mumbai Indians—an innings that kept RCB in the hunt and, in the process, knocked the five-time champions out of the IPL playoffs race.
In that chase, Krunal battled severe cramps and, at points, was essentially batting with limited mobility. Still, he produced a match-changing effort, smashing an unbeaten 73 off 46 balls to keep the pressure on, with RCB sealing the target on the last delivery.
After the game, Pandya noted that Karthik’s work away from the spotlight has been especially valuable over the last two seasons. He said the emphasis on individual attention—understanding each batter’s strengths and weaknesses and then working on them—has helped RCB bat more cohesively as a unit.
“If you look at last year and even this year, despite the ups and downs, a lot of credit goes to DK,” Krunal said at the post-match press conference on Sunday. “He has spent a lot of individual time with each player, understanding their strengths and weaknesses and working on them. He’s always there for the batters. So yes, there’s no doubt a lot of credit goes to DK for how we’ve batted as a unit.”
