Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has opined that Krunal Pandya was a smart pick by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2025 mega auction. Pandya was bagged for INR 5.75 crore by RCB in the auction and the all-rounder proved his mettle against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the tournament’s opener at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Saturday.
KKR got off to a blistering start, scoring 107-2 in the first 10 overs. However, Pandya was able to turn a corner, accounting for a well-settled Ajinkya Rahane.
The left-arm orthodox spinner then bowled Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh with quick balls to return with figures of 3-29 in his quota of four overs. Ergo, he played an instrumental role in restricting KKR to 174 after RCB won the toss.
“It was an emphatic and important victory for Rajat Patidar as the new captain. Having Virat Kohli in great form certainly helps,” Hayden was quoted by JioStar as saying.
“Their bowling lineup looked solid — Krunal Pandya was a handy asset through the middle, and Josh Hazlewood did what he does best. For the first time in a long while, I look at RCB’s setup and think—there’s something special about this unit this year,” he added.
Hayden lauded Pandya for changing his pace with guile and bamboozling KKR’s batters.
“He was such a smart pick and a clever bowler. His change of pace, his ability to attack the stumps — it was an excellent setup,” Hayden said.
The former left-hander also praised Virat Kohli, who scored an unbeaten knock of 59 runs off 36 balls to help his team get over the line in the run-chase with 22 balls to spare.
“You can’t beat experience in high-pressure situations, and he showed serious character. At one point, it looked like RCB was in deep trouble, but their comeback was superb,” Hayden said.
“This was the perfect total for Virat Kohli to chase down. If you find yourself in a par or slightly above-par scenario on such a surface, that’s where he thrives,” he said.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Friday.
