Krunal Pandya’s path to becoming a five-time IPL champion is rooted in the kind of daily struggle that rarely makes headlines. Before he ever earned national recognition and the spotlight of the T20 stage, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder spent his formative years dealing with paperwork, affidavits and practical, often exhausting work—experiences he now believes have sharpened the way he handles pressure on the field.
From paperwork and car deals to match-day pressure
- Krunal has described how, long before IPL trophies, his everyday routine revolved around assisting his father, Himanshu Pandya, who worked as a passport advisor agent.
- He said that around the age of 11 or 12, he would accompany his father to help with the business side of documentation, and by his early teens he was performing work himself, including preparing documents and handling formalities.
- As he grew older, he learned firsthand how demanding life can be—even when parents may not fully spell out those difficulties to their children.
- He also worked as a broker dealing in second-hand cars, where he earned modest commission on sales and became familiar with the real pressures of earning and responsibility.
- Krunal said those years taught him a crucial mindset: when situations become tough, he does not slow down—he leans into the challenge and focuses on winning.
In his reflections, Krunal made it clear that his outlook is closely tied to his late father’s influence. By seeing life up close from a young age, he believes he developed an attitude that helps him stay resilient rather than fear high-stakes moments. He also spoke about how he views cricket through the lens of his life experiences, arguing that the same “mind” you use day to day is what ultimately guides performance in matches.
Asked about the more “familiar” details of that earlier work, Krunal recalled the realities of second-hand car dealing. He said cars were typically sold in the range of three to four lakh rupees, with commission around ₹3,000 for the agent fee. He also described the range of document work he handled—filling forms, managing affidavits, supporting ration card procedures, dealing with essentials like utility bills, collecting multiple identity proofs, and processing school leaving certificates. He added that he would also navigate online form submissions, arrange photocopies, and even visit offices for name corrections using paper cuttings, before getting affidavits completed.
Today, Krunal is one of the most decorated figures in the league, carrying five IPL titles and playing a major role whenever his franchises push for silverware. His latest impact came during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful title defence in IPL 2026, where he contributed in a campaign spanning 16 matches.
Across that tournament, Krunal scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 145.80 and also picked up 14 wickets, underlining his value as a two-way performer. From a youth shaped by hard graft off the field to delivering in the most intense moments of T20 cricket, his story is less about sudden luck and more about learning to thrive under pressure—before the crowds ever arrived.
